Redeeming Qualities

Have you ever had a conversation where you look back with disgust upon yourself?  Many times I have looked back and prayed my foolishness would somehow be forgotten!  When we trust in Christ and repent, God forgives and remembers our sin no more.  But the same cannot be said for most people!  I remember one conversation I had with a friend during my high school days I would love to revise.  I was a professing follower of Jesus Christ, and I knew in my flesh no good thing dwelt.  But during a conversation, she demanded I admit I was a good person.  At first I resisted.  Then she insisted.  "Alright, fine!" I said.  Those are words I would love to take back, being in direct violation of scriptural truth.  Psalm 14:3 reads, "They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one."  Jesus once told a man, "There is none good but God."  God is right, I was wrong.

Compliments are always difficult for me to receive.  It is not that I despise compliments:  no, the difficulty is that my flesh LOVES compliments.  The real struggle lies in receiving the compliment in humility but taking no glory in it.  All glory is to be directed towards Jesus Christ.  We are not to make people feel awkward because of a compliment, or to chastise them for sharing their appreciative heart.  We are to receive the person graciously and gently direct their focus to the goodness of God.  When I was about 12 we had a guest singer at our church who showed me how not to handle compliments.  She was complimented on her beautiful singing and said, "Well, I was off on some of my notes."  She might as well have slapped this poor woman who complimented her.  To the woman in the pew the singing was lovely.  The singer could have said, "Thank you very much.  Isn't it a joy to sing to our great God?"  Instead she critically pointed out her own flaws in false humility and in so many words said, "You're too stupid to know good singing when you hear it.  I can do better than the garbage you just heard."  Ouch.

As a Christian, I have come to the conclusion that I am an absolute wretch.  Like the song "Amazing Grace" says, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see."  Any redeeming qualities in me exist only because of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  When I sin it is because of sin in me, and when I do what is right it is because of the Holy Spirit's work within me.  I praise God that sometimes, despite all my tendencies towards wickedness, pride, deceit, and judgments, the light of Jesus Christ shines through.  It makes me very sad if people think I am a good person.  I am not a good person.  I want people to recognize that what they perceive as "goodness" is actually Christ living through me.  I strive to live a life pleasing unto God.  But it is only by God's grace, mercy, and love that I can do so.  Even then it is not I who live, but Christ in me.

The next time someone compliments you, I encourage you to give all the glory to Jesus Christ.  Take none of His glory for yourself.  When we do this it robs God and stunts our witness.  A man who swallows compliments and does not give glory to God is like a dog who feasts on sweet chocolate.  Chocolate will kill a dog, even as praise and worship will corrupt and destroy a man.  Reserve no glory for yourself.  Jesus says in Matthew 23:12, "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To God be the glory, both now and forever, for wisdom and might are His!