And the Real Praise Goes To...

My father was a lot of things, two of which were that of being both a proud man and a humble man. He told me one time, “Judge a man by his actions, not the color of his skin”. Being that my father was a man of color, I took his words too heart, as the color of skin he referred to was also the lighter whiter skinned race, not just the darker pigmented skins of what most people look at as color. In his wisdom, I have always attempted to draw conclusion based in actions versus words and emotions. Some would call me cold or critical, and others might use discerning (and I’m sure many other words as well). My father showed me by his example when to be proud and when to be humble, when to accept and when to deny, when to welcome praise and when to redirect it to its rightful owner.

It is my opinion that most of us desire recognition and praise, to have our value and esteem recognized, to be appreciated, affirmed, and loved. It is human nature and there are truly very few of us who choose to be completely isolated and live a monastic hermit life. We also tend to be a people who understand justice and fairness. For some of us, we are much more sensitive to love, fairness, justice, and false humility. When our world, country, communities, and families are dealt an injustice, it can be difficult to comprehend and understand.

When we watch injustice and unfairness in our society, on our televisions, through our media, we can often act with indignation, righteous at times. It is equally true when we experience unjust rewards bestowed upon the lives of others, on groups and societies, and even on cultures. We can easily become frustrated, angry, upset, and if not careful, act out in a way that is not in our best interest. I have watched people take credit for what they did not deserve or for things they did not perform, in what I viewed as false humility and thanks, throughout my life, even watching it recently in my own extended family.

It is difficult to accept when this occurs. And yet, we have been warned of this by the very Being who laid his life down so that we might have everlasting peace with the Creator. The reality is that recognition and praise will be bestowed on both the deserving and non-deserving, for we the human race are quite fallible. In the end, it is life that will fade, and in time, both will be dead and gone. Our hope and life lies solely in the God who gives it to us in the first place. Our salvation is in Christ and Christ alone. I say this not as a judgment, but as His reality shared with us so long ago.

I encourage you my friends and reader to understand your emotions when feeling betrayed and when experiencing a sense of injustice. I encourage you to do what is within your circle of control in a Godly and legal manner. I encourage you to find your sense of fairness in Christ who gives us life eternal even though we don’t deserve to lie at his feet. The bigger picture is that all this will pass, and you are an eternal creation that will live forever with God through Christ, whether you deserve it or not, just by the asking.

(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)