Affirming Who We Are, Not Just What We Do.

Let’s challenge ourselves to affirm people in their character, as opposed to their gifts or what they do.

I am constantly encouraged for the things that I am good at. Writing. Speaking. At work. All good things so I am definitely not complaining. I am a words of affirmation gal, as you all know, so those nuggets of encouragement are special to me.

I have an incredible friendship with someone who is constantly speaking into my character. What they see inside of me, and not what I can do for them. I remember looking directly in their eyes and saying:

“I wish I could see what you see.”

Isn’t that a true statement. The majority of us constantly play the running soundtrack of our flaws. All of the “bad” and ugly parts of us that we wish would not be there or work so hard to change. So when someone speaks about our heart and our character (and the fact that they are close enough to know us that deeply), it can be hard to see what they see as the truth or as something real.

It challenged me to now focus more on affirming a person for who they are and not what they do. We know this. It is not a brand new message. But we all can get so caught up in the work that we do and what we do, and believing that their work translates into who they are.

But, I want to be someone who is invested in the lives of others. I don’t want to just have relationships that only focus on what a person does for a living or how many times they attend church in a month or what Ministries they are a part of or how much they donate to charity.

I want to affirm their character. How they treat others. Do they love their spouse. Their kids. I want to know what breaks their heart and what fills them with joy. Who do they care about. What drives them?

Today, I want you to affirm someone that you know about their character. Watch them light up. They might not believe it at first. If you see Jesus radiate from them, tell them. They might get a little uncomfortable. They might shy away from that attention.

Affirm them anyway. They will remember it. It will make an impact.

Tiffany Rhea