Today I want to talk about something that is a little strange to me. The question is - Is it real? Is what real, you ask? When someone tells you something nice is it real? Several months ago, I wrote a blog about the Box. It was probably the most significant thing I have written thus far because it meant so much to me. In this blog, I wrote about how we should look at the stuff that is on the inside of people and not the outside. I think it is important to see the great things God has put in all of us. Now it may have been the same blog or maybe not but I also wrote a little about how to take a compliment.
Recently, I have been around someone who has taken the time to take the lid off my box and see what's on the inside of me. This person has been very complimentary of me and to be honest, it is a little unsettling. I am not really sure how to take it. She's used words to describe me like nice, sweet, caring, etc. She even went as far as to say that I was a good man. I am extremely grateful for the compliments and I believe that they are from the heart and sincere but they made me a little uncomfortable. That made me consider my own actions a little.
When I am around someone, I try to be very positive. I have worked hard to be someone who sees the best in others. While I am not perfect, I feel like I have come a long way. Like I have said before, I'm not where I want to be but thank God, I'm not where I used to be. But I got a lesson today in how it feels to have someone do the same thing back to me. Now it is unsettling but in a good way.
I recently told someone that I thought they were a very special person and the response I got was not surprising. That person basically said she struggled to believe what I was saying but she was working on believing it. I have had this answer before in a different context and I wasn't shocked. What surprised me a little was that this person didn't believe me. Now she didn't think I was lying, she just found the nice thing I said difficult to believe. At the time, I didn't understand why but now I think understand why she felt this way.
Have you ever been around someone who tells you one thing and then does another? How about someone who tells you that they love you and then they do hateful things to you? What message does that send? Actions speak much louder than words so the actions certainly override the words. Also, for some reason pain has a much more lasting effect on people than love. At least on the surface this is the case. So when we feel pain, the thought of it stays longer than love although love will impact you on a much deeper level. But after someone hurts us, especially if it's for a long period of time, we really have a difficult time believing someone else when they say something nice.
Let me ask you this. Has something happened in your life that makes it hard for you to believe things when people say nice things about you? Maybe your self esteem is so low that it makes it hard for you to believe the nice things that people say about you. The truth about the matter is that everything God ever made is amazing. He made you and by definition that makes you an amazing person. God wrote a whole book about you and how amazing you are. The book says you were made in his image. If someone tells you any different, ask yourself who's lying? Is it them or God? I choose them. If someone tells you something good about you, it's probably true. Now I do believe that we need to watch out for people who say nice things to manipulate us. However, there are many people who just recognize the amazing gifts that God put in our box. When that happens, let it soak through your skin like rain into the ground and get to your heart where it can grow into something amazing.
Today as we were walking, this person told me that I was pretty special. I know what she says is sincere and I should have been able to believe her and just say thank you. However, this is hard for me because it's hard for me to feel worthy of the compliment. There is a fine line between believing that we are worthy and being arrogant. For years I have tried to hide behind humility to avoid compliments. Now true humility is good and I try to be a humble person. But I would avoid compliments or block them out because I didn't feel worthy of the compliment. Instead of dealing wih not being worthy, I simply chose to believe that accepting a compliment could make me arrogant.
I am learning to accept these things from people and let them cause a harvest of good things to grow from my heart. In truth, we all need to learn this lesson.
That's another Opinion of the Minion
Recently, I have been around someone who has taken the time to take the lid off my box and see what's on the inside of me. This person has been very complimentary of me and to be honest, it is a little unsettling. I am not really sure how to take it. She's used words to describe me like nice, sweet, caring, etc. She even went as far as to say that I was a good man. I am extremely grateful for the compliments and I believe that they are from the heart and sincere but they made me a little uncomfortable. That made me consider my own actions a little.
When I am around someone, I try to be very positive. I have worked hard to be someone who sees the best in others. While I am not perfect, I feel like I have come a long way. Like I have said before, I'm not where I want to be but thank God, I'm not where I used to be. But I got a lesson today in how it feels to have someone do the same thing back to me. Now it is unsettling but in a good way.
I recently told someone that I thought they were a very special person and the response I got was not surprising. That person basically said she struggled to believe what I was saying but she was working on believing it. I have had this answer before in a different context and I wasn't shocked. What surprised me a little was that this person didn't believe me. Now she didn't think I was lying, she just found the nice thing I said difficult to believe. At the time, I didn't understand why but now I think understand why she felt this way.
Have you ever been around someone who tells you one thing and then does another? How about someone who tells you that they love you and then they do hateful things to you? What message does that send? Actions speak much louder than words so the actions certainly override the words. Also, for some reason pain has a much more lasting effect on people than love. At least on the surface this is the case. So when we feel pain, the thought of it stays longer than love although love will impact you on a much deeper level. But after someone hurts us, especially if it's for a long period of time, we really have a difficult time believing someone else when they say something nice.
Let me ask you this. Has something happened in your life that makes it hard for you to believe things when people say nice things about you? Maybe your self esteem is so low that it makes it hard for you to believe the nice things that people say about you. The truth about the matter is that everything God ever made is amazing. He made you and by definition that makes you an amazing person. God wrote a whole book about you and how amazing you are. The book says you were made in his image. If someone tells you any different, ask yourself who's lying? Is it them or God? I choose them. If someone tells you something good about you, it's probably true. Now I do believe that we need to watch out for people who say nice things to manipulate us. However, there are many people who just recognize the amazing gifts that God put in our box. When that happens, let it soak through your skin like rain into the ground and get to your heart where it can grow into something amazing.
Today as we were walking, this person told me that I was pretty special. I know what she says is sincere and I should have been able to believe her and just say thank you. However, this is hard for me because it's hard for me to feel worthy of the compliment. There is a fine line between believing that we are worthy and being arrogant. For years I have tried to hide behind humility to avoid compliments. Now true humility is good and I try to be a humble person. But I would avoid compliments or block them out because I didn't feel worthy of the compliment. Instead of dealing wih not being worthy, I simply chose to believe that accepting a compliment could make me arrogant.
I am learning to accept these things from people and let them cause a harvest of good things to grow from my heart. In truth, we all need to learn this lesson.
That's another Opinion of the Minion
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