The Testing of Praise
Proverbs 27:21 says:
“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.”
Life on this side of heaven is filled with many tests, many trials. We may be tested in times of suffering, or times of relational strife. We may be tested in times of great confusion, or times of great need.
These things are true, but Proverbs speaks of another testing — one that is brought on by praise. The praise and approval of others tests the motivations of our hearts. It can expose what we really were after, even if we weren’t fully aware of it in the moment.
Praise from others is powerful and impactful, and also dangerous for a heart not grounded in God. A humble heart can receive the praise, whatever truth that is in it, and be grateful to God to be used for the benefit of others. But a prideful heart, a selfish heart, will be fed in the wrong ways by even true praise and honor from others. It will be satisfied in itself, make much of itself, and in turn deceive itself into thinking “it is all that and a bag of chips”.
The presence of praise from others can test our heart, and so can an absence of it. How does your heart respond in the absence of praise? Do you steadily take the absence of praise, with the same trust and gratitude toward God as the times when praise is present? Or, do our prideful hearts start to twist and turn when they lack the praise of others they hunger so much for? Our hearts are tested by praise, and so often we fail the test. And this reminds us of our need to confess our sins.
Prayer of Confession
Father, how much of our pride is revealed when we receive the praise that we have sought instead of you. And how much of our pride is likewise revealed when we don’t receive the praise we desire. In these moments we think so little of your thoughts toward us, your love toward us, and your smile upon us. Things that we have in full even though we haven’t done a single thing to merit them. And we instead often seek the praise and approval of others, and will act in various ways to gain it. Lord rescue us from the enslavement of seeking praise and approval from others to justify ourselves, to prove ourselves, and to take pride in ourselves. Father reveal to us how the praise of others has gripped us too tightly. Show us our error, as we confess our sins in this moment of silence…
