When I was studying the Bible, this verse particularly caught my attention: “... a circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:29) What’s the difference between being praised by God and being praised by man? Interestingly, what wins man’s praise is sharply in contrast with what wins God’s praise. You can’t blame man – he only praises you for what he sees!
Man’s praise is temporary – it is of no use when you get to heaven. It is of no value, except to make you feel good, for some time. People who praise you today may even turn against you later. So, you can't use man's praise to measure where you stand.
You would normally win man’s praise if you contribute a big sum to an orphanage or a church, pray long and loud prayers peppered with Scripture, recite a lot of verses from the Bible, lead praise and worship, perform miracles in the Name of Jesus, preach loud sermons interjected with “Hallelujah’s” and “Praise the Lord’s”, compose beautiful worship songs or write nice articles about your Christian walk. All these are good things to do. But, what would God find when He digs in deeper, where no one but He can see? Will He find a heart that is wholly devoted to Him? That’s what He desires to see and that’s what wins His praise. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7b)
God refers to David as “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22). By man’s standards, David would probably be classed as an adulterer and a murderer. You don’t need an impressive record to win God’s praise, but you need to have a sincere heart. We read of many people who won God’s praise – the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:28), the centurion (Luke 7:9), Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) and many others. Let us be upright before God. Confess to Him your shortcomings, sins and struggles. That’s what pleases Him. (Luke 18:9-14)
Man’s praise is temporary – it is of no use when you get to heaven. It is of no value, except to make you feel good, for some time. People who praise you today may even turn against you later. So, you can't use man's praise to measure where you stand.
You would normally win man’s praise if you contribute a big sum to an orphanage or a church, pray long and loud prayers peppered with Scripture, recite a lot of verses from the Bible, lead praise and worship, perform miracles in the Name of Jesus, preach loud sermons interjected with “Hallelujah’s” and “Praise the Lord’s”, compose beautiful worship songs or write nice articles about your Christian walk. All these are good things to do. But, what would God find when He digs in deeper, where no one but He can see? Will He find a heart that is wholly devoted to Him? That’s what He desires to see and that’s what wins His praise. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7b)
God refers to David as “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22). By man’s standards, David would probably be classed as an adulterer and a murderer. You don’t need an impressive record to win God’s praise, but you need to have a sincere heart. We read of many people who won God’s praise – the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:28), the centurion (Luke 7:9), Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) and many others. Let us be upright before God. Confess to Him your shortcomings, sins and struggles. That’s what pleases Him. (Luke 18:9-14)
At all times, let us examine ourselves to see if we live as those who will receive praise from God. A decision to increase my prayer time is good. But I need to check why I do it. Is it because I want to spend more time with this God I love or is it just to impress someone else or myself? More than what I do for Him, it is my heart that matters to Him – a life offered to Him as a pleasing sacrifice.
