I was talking with a friend the other day and they shared a story of affirmation they had received for something they had created. Now, you may be thinking “how arrogant.” But the truth is, it wasn’t like that at all. I was more than happy to listen to the story and to celebrate with my friend for a job well done.

Personally, I love to celebrate a job well done with people, like my friend, whose hearts are in the right place and who “get it” because it’s not just a celebration of them and their skills but also, and maybe more so, a celebration of how God is using them and their skills for His purpose. And that…seeing God living and active in the lives of His people…is something that, for me, never gets old.

Sometimes I wonder if there would be fewer people wrestling and fighting for affirmation in unhealthy ways if we as the church learned to affirm one another more often. We seem to be okay with the idea of “encouraging” because we put it in the box related to feelings and the heart. But, we seem to struggle with encouraging or affirming people’s skills and work. We’re afraid that if we do they will become prideful because of it or that we are taking away all of the glory from God. But, I don’t believe either of those has to be the case.

Thoughts? When was the last time you poured out some words of affirmation on someone?