Reflect today on the praise you give and receive

Praise that you give and receive: "How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the one God?" John 5:44 It is quite normal and healthy for a parent to praise a child for the good he does. This healthy positive reinforcement is a way to teach them the importance of doing good and avoiding what is wrong. But human praise is not an infallible guide to what is right and wrong. In fact, when human praise is not based on God's truth, it does great harm.

This short scripture quote above comes from a long teaching of Jesus on the difference between human praise and "the praise that comes only from God." Jesus makes it clear that the only thing that has value is the praise that comes from God alone. In fact, at the beginning of this Gospel, Jesus clearly says: "I do not accept human praise ..." Why is this so?

Going back to the example of a parent praising a child for the good he does, when the praise he offers is truly a praise of his goodness, then this is much more than human praise. It is the praise of God given through a parent. A parent's duty must be to teach right from wrong according to God's will.

Meditation Today: Human or Divine Praise? Praise that you give and receive

As for the "human praise" that Jesus speaks of, this is clearly the praise of another who lacks the truthfulness of God. In other words, Jesus is saying that if anyone praises Him for something that did not originate with the Father in heaven. , would reject it. For example, if someone said of Jesus, "I think he would be a great governor of our nation because he could lead a revolt against the current leadership." Obviously such "praise" would be rejected.

The bottom line is that we have to praise each other, but the our praise it must only be that which comes from God. Our words must be spoken only in accordance with the Truth. Our admiration must be only that which is the presence of the living God in others. Otherwise, if we praise others on the basis of worldly or self-centered values, we only encourage them to sin.

Reflect today on the praise you give and receive. Do you allow misleading praise from others to mislead you in life? And when you compliment and praise another, that praise is based on God's Truth and directed to His glory. Seeks to give and receive praise only when it is rooted in God's Truth and directs everything to His glory.

My praiseworthy Lord, I thank you and praise you for your perfect goodness. I thank you for the way you act in perfect union with the Father's will. Help me to hear only Your voice in this life and to reject all the misleading and confused rumors of the world. May my values ​​and my choices be guided by you and only by you. Jesus I believe in you.