Readings for today: Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56
Affirmation is powerful. Letting someone know how much you admire them, how proud you are of them, and how you see God at work in their lives can be life-changing. Especially in a world full of negativity, pessimism, and constant complaint. Far too many people go through their days without receiving a single word of authentic, heart-felt encouragement. Far too many people find themselves withering under a constant barrage of critique. Far too many people have no one in their life who sees God’s best in them and calls it out of them. It’s why when I mentor younger men, I do my best to be the one person in their life who sees the man I believe God has called them to be and encourages them to get there. It’s why I started a spiritual practice with my kids years ago where I text them a few times a month just to let them know how proud I am of them and the people they are becoming, what I see God doing in their lives, and what I see for them in the future. All of them have let me know how much it encourages them. Sadly, they’ve also let me know how rare it is for them or their friends to receive anything like it.
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 17:5b NET) This isn’t the first time Jesus has heard these words from His Heavenly Father. He heard them at His baptism when the heavens opened as He came out of the waters. Though the Gospel writers do not tell us, I imagine Jesus heard these words when He withdrew by Himself to pray. And today we read them after Jesus has been transfigured before His disciples. The Father making it clear He is proud of His Son. The Father making it clear He affirms His Son. The Father making it clear what He sees in His Son. It may be strange to think that Jesus needed to hear these words from his Father. After all, Jesus is one with His Father. He is the second Person of the Trinity. He exists from eternity in perfect, unbroken relationship with His Father. And yet, the Father chooses to affirm His Son publicly in this particular way. To me, it’s proof the power of affirmation. Not just for Jesus but for those who are with Jesus. The Father affirming His Son publicly so those who follow Him could hear and bear witness.
I wonder what would happen if Christians took this same approach. Husbands affirming their wives. Wives affirming their husbands. Parents affirming their children. Pastors affirming their congregations. Teachers affirming their students. Employers affirming their employees. Political leaders affirming each other and the constituents they serve. What if we saw the best in each other rather than the worst? What if we sought to build up rather than tear down? What if we saw and called out where and how God was at work rather than point out all the ways we fall short in life? What if we spent more time encouraging rather than complaining? Wouldn’t that make a difference? I think about my son. He’s twenty-six. He shows the texts I send him to his friends. They all tell him how lucky he is to have his father in his corner. To have a father who believes in him. A father who is cheering for him. None of them get anything like that from their dads. It breaks my heart and it motivates me to be the primary encourager for everyone I meet.
Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays