Proverbs 27:2
"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips"
One of the ways to make yourself really obnoxious fast is to constantly be talking about how wonderful you are. It is best when others recognize that you are doing good. This is a very difficult thing at times when you feel that others are not recognizing what you have done. But if you are always boasting about what you have done, then people get tired of you.
Now it is all right to tell people about things you have done and that you did a good job. But don't praise yourself.
I saw one of my daughters grappling with this aspect of wisdom. I heard her say that her parents and other adults don't always see all the good things that she does or comment on them. This is true and discouraging at times. But it is good that she continues to do good things even when they are not noticed. They are noticed by God and will be praised by Him in heaven. It is my job, as her father, to strike a correct balance of pointing out the wonderful things she does as often as I can without giving her a proud or superior mindset. By the way, all of us will naturally move in the direction that we are receiving praise. So if your children are receiving more praise from their friends than their parents, they will naturally move in that direction. Be lavish in your praise and generous in your appreciation.
When your good deeds just continue to mount up, then they will be talked about.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz