Accurate Praise

Accurate Praise

Legendary football coach Bill Walsh once said, “Nothing is more effective than sincere, accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment.” Coach Walsh didn’t mince words there, did he?

Stop and think for a moment about the amount of accurate praise you actually give. Do your children hear you affirming them for a job well done when they receive their report cards or when they execute their chores?

The Bible declares that Jesus was the perfect mixture of grace and truth. John 1:14 states, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV). In my experience, rarely do you meet someone full of both grace and truth. Most people are full of one or the other, but few people are full of both. Think about the ebb and flow of life for a moment. There are times when what we need most is truth. But keep in mind, truth is best received in an environment of grace. At other times, especially when we know we have made a mistake, we desperately need grace. The last thing we need is someone coming along and saying, “I told you so.”

As you interact with those in your life, I want to challenge you to be full of both grace and truth. Ask God to help you grow in each of these areas.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14, NIV