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Don't Turn Down That Compliment
written by: Hart Dowd
Don’t Turn Down That Compliment.
Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”
Have you ever had a compliment paid to you, and your response is to look a little uncomfortable and say, “Oh, it was nothing.”?
Perhaps you have done a favor for a friend, or done something especially nice, whatever the reason, but you seemingly are unable to accept a sincere compliment.
Usually there are reason why we do what we do. It could be that in the home you were growing up in, no one ever complimented you, or anyone else in the family. Perhaps the family members took each other for granted, or worse, they criticized one another. The result is that you have no background for accepting genuine praise for anything you do or are. In fact, a compliment is something of an embarrassment to you.
A friend I know has this problem. One of his neighbors was so pleased with something he did that he told him so. The friend’s response was, “Not at all! It was nothing.” The neighbor paid little attention the first time, but when time after time the friend did favors for that neighbor, and time after time gave a negative response to compliments, the neighbor said to himself, “All right. That’s the last time I will compliment him.” No one likes to feel that he has said the wrong thing.
How can we respond to a compliment gracefully if this has never been a part of our way of life?
One way might be to accept it with a smile that speaks for you. Another response might be, “It makes me feel good for you to say that about me,” or, “I’m so glad that you noticed. Thank you for telling me.” This way both of you are happy. The person giving the compliment is glad he did, and you are encouraged by the recognition that your work is pleasing.
The person who has difficulty in graciously accepting a compliment is usually hesitant about taking any kind of favor from another person. The Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35b). But how can we know the joy and blessing of giving unless there is someone who is willing to receive? This is true even of a compliment, so why turn it down?
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