“When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.” 2 Corinthians 10:18
There’s a lot of “self-commendation” going on around us these days. From sports stars bragging about a three-pointer, touchdown, or homerun; YouTubers boasting about their huge number of subscribers; to company CEO’s boasting about their latest financial report and cash on hand, self-commendation just reveals a shallowness in one’s thinking. And, to be quite honest, it’s a big turnoff for most. As Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 10, what matters most at the end of the day is the commendation one receives from the Lord.
It doesn’t even matter if others commend us or not, as seen in the story of Samuel and Saul in 1 Samuel chapters eight through ten. Because the people of Israel were so concerned about what their neighboring countries thought about them being kingless, they cried out for a king. In doing so, they rejected the King of Kings, the Lord Himself, but nevertheless God gave them what they asked for and hand-picked Saul to be their first king. Despite the fact that some chose to reject him during his coronation process, Samuel knew that what mattered was what the Lord thought of Saul, so Samuel followed God’s instructions.
Even Saul himself struggled with the concept of being Israel’s first king and went and hid himself among the luggage, thus rejecting himself. His problem wasn’t self-commendation, but instead self-condemnation. Saul had a hard time, at first, getting over the fact that he came from the least of the tribes of Israel and from the least of the families within his tribe. God had to supernaturally bring change to Saul’s heart so that he could step into the role and plan God had for him.
What’s important for all of us as believers to remember is that it really doesn’t matter how others see us, or even how we see ourselves. What matters most of all is how He sees us, and how He sees us is the truth in which we should strive to live. Our only boast should be in His boast of us. If He says we are crowned, then we are crowned only because He says so.
Today, rest in who God says you are so you can do the things He calls you to do.