how to affirm people’s value…

another way to raise someone’s confidence is to affirm their value.

1 corinthians 13.4 (ph) love looks for ways of being constructive. do you do that? 

the bible says in 1 thessalonians 5.11 (niv), encourage one another and build each other up. 

james dobson did a study of 10,000 women.  they found that the number one cause of depression is low self-esteem.  people are starving for affirmation.  they want to know that they matter, they count.  if you want to bring out the best in people, affirm their value.  how? attention, affection and appreciation.

attention.  you raise confidence by just the way you look at them.  you can look at people and raise their value – just by the way you look at them.  JESUS did.  study how JESUS looked at people. 

you can affirm people just by attention.  look in their eyes.  when you look in a person’s eyes, you’re giving them a gift.  you’re saying, “i value you.”

 

then affection.  if you love somebody, show it. 

the bible says in proverbs 27.5, open rebuke is better than hidden love.  in other words, if you’re not showing your love you might as well be rebuking them. you say you love your kids.  do you show it? 

showing affection to your kids.   tickle them, hug them, scruff their head, play with them, touch them.  they need to not only hear that they are loved, they want them to feel it, to feel it on their skin.  give them attention and affection.

then appreciation.  we used to know the meaning of appreciation if you owned a home. appreciation means to raise in value.  just like depreciation means to lower in value. if you own a car you know the meaning of depreciation.

every time you appreciate the people in your family, the people at your work, your friends, every time you appreciate somebody, you raise their value. 

just a thought from the front porch…