Luke 18:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
Jesus just met the rich young ruler who wants to learn about eternal life and how to earn it. Jesus does not focus on the question asked but on the compliment given him. Jesus rebukes him for the compliment telling him only God is good. Is this setting a precedent? Are we supposed to reject compliments? Are compliments only for God? I don’t think so. I believe it all depends on how you handle them.
If you take the compliment as boasting about your gifts and talents, that is pride. But if you take them as praise of the gifts God has given you, you are giving Him the glory. Do you think God is glorified when you use the gifts He has given you?
Do you have children? What if your son or daughter came to you and said “I am a loser, I am a nothing, I am a nobody. Nothing good ever happens to me.” How would that make you feel? Would it make you feel proud? Would you tell them you are glad they finally figured it out? Or would it break your heart? It would break mine! How do you think your Heavenly Father feels when you reject a compliment that highlights the gifts he has given you? That’s right. The gifts He has given you! Are you worthy? Probably not. But God, by His grace, says you are. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. If He says so, I believe Him. Why don’t you? When given a compliment, do you say thank you or do you give some sort of excuse? Are you going to argue with God? Are you going to disrespect your Creator by not acknowledging the gifts he has given you? That is what you are doing. When you refuse a compliment on a gift God has given you, you are disrespecting the Giver of those gifts.
So when someone says you did a good job, say thank you. Don’t be arrogant about it but acknowledge the gifts you have been given and use them to the glory of the Giver. Don’t be ashamed of doing a good job. God is the one who created the work of your hands and gave you the talents to do them. Please practice the words “thank you”! Acknowledge the Giver and accept the compliment. Make Him proud of you. He loves you. Let Him enjoy your success. It was Him who gave you the tools.
Father, we thank You for establishing the works of our hands and giving us the talent and opportunity to use them. Help us to bring glory to You through our good works. Help us to remain humble in our acceptance. In Jesus name we pray!