Greetings godly sister saints!
Hope you're all standing....strong in the Lord and His truth and ways. I'm coming back one more day to share some encouragement for us sisters.
I was thinking about this subject of praising others. First of all we live for the praise of God and doing all things as unto Him don't we. We don't do things specifically to be praised (of course!) but it is a good thing to praise others for doing well.
And the other side is also rebuking for wrong doing and that is also a loving thing to do really (when done rightly inline with God's word and without hypocrisy). It is not loving to know someone is going on in sin and we don't tell them that they must repent of it.
So we have this scripture for us women...
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:30-31
That is a great picture of a godly woman who fears the Lord...she will be praised! What a great thing it is to walk in all of God's ways and they are His ways and not ours and so all good things are from Him! We cannot take any credit whatsoever for them as it is for God's glory and of Him. But it is good to encourage others and show thankfulness as well in praising their good actions. And the praise all goes back to God for His mighty power in our lives, raising us from the deadness we were in in our trespasses and sins in giving us newness of life and power to overcome!
I was thinking also about that woman that showed great love to Jesus because of the many sins she had been forgiven of. And then Jesus said it would be told about her for many to see! She was praised for her actions.
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Mark 14:9
And Paul praised others...
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
1 Corinthians 11:1-2
(And we know he also rebuked them and said he didn't praise them in a few areas.)
As we don't hide the light of Christ in our lives but live in His ways...
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
...so, others will see our good work we do but we don't do it for them but for the glory of God. We can't hide our lights just because people might think we are doing it for our own glory or praise (or working our way to heaven which can't be done). We are not (or most certainly shouldn't be). If we didn't have Him we would be doing bad works and that is definitely not glorifying to the Father!
We don't look for the praise of men...
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
John 12:43
...but only of God.
And we don't praise ourselves either...
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Proverbs 27:2
We want to simply do this don't we sisters...
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Colossians 3:23
I know some sisters who are to be praised for their good works and kind actions to others! They do not look for it but to be holy to their Master and serving others. But nevertheless they are a good example to others and should be encouraged in their ways! So many may speak bad words against the holy saints...and we know it will be that way as many hate God whose truth we stand firm in. We know the praise of God is enough for us...we live to please Him. But the good others do is also something to be praised and encourage them in it! I praise my sisters who have great love for the Lord, fear Him, and show real love for others! Thank you sisters!
Just a glimpse of some of my work yesterday...
Then I had to drive home so stopped for a little break at the river...
God's creations are good!
I think I must go now sisters. Hopefully that encouraged you in some way and we all keep on doing our good works heartily unto the Lord as we are zealous for them! Lord willing I shall be back tomorrow with something to share. Hold fast!
And I leave with a great scripture...
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:7-9
Love in Christ,
Sister Michaela
Find the gospel explained here.