When I taught high school, I remember being chastised by my students. I was talking about being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses:
“For example, I know that I write well. But I don’t always listen well—”
“Wow, Mr. Wales. That’s pretty arrogant, don’t you think?”
“What? Saying that I write well?”
“Yes. That’s so cocky. You’re bragging.”
“But there’s nothing wrong with knowing your strengths. If I go to a job interview and they ask my strengths and weaknesses, I want to be able to answer both questions honestly.”
“No. You sound conceited.”
I had these conversations more than once. I often found it difficult to convince 16-year-olds that there is a difference between boastful arrogance and honestly knowing your own gifts and talents.
It is not wrong to know what you are good at—and it is not wrong to enjoy doing things that you do well.
“There is nothing better for man that to eat, drink, and enjoy his work” Ecclesiastes 2:24.
It is not wrong to feel good about a job well done. When you finish a project—whether work, sports, hobbies—and you know you “crushed it,” you are allowed to feel good about that. You are allowed to feel GREAT about it. When you work hard and do well, you earned that good feeling. There is no need to minimize that, to steal your own joy. Enjoy! Rejoice in your success! Yes, you should feel good about it!
When God created the universe, he recognized the quality of his work:
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good” Genesis 1:4.
He made the oceans and dry land, “and God saw that it was good” Genesis 1:10.
He made grasses and fruit trees, “and God saw that it was good” Genesis 1:12.
He made the sun and moon, “and God saw that it was good” Genesis 1:18.
He made the fish and birds, “and God saw that it was good” Genesis 1:21.
He made animals to cover the earth, “and God saw that it was good” Genesis 1:25.
And God made man and woman and placed the whole earth under their dominion (Genesis 1:28), and he saw everything that he had made, “and behold it was very good” Genesis 1:31.
A note in my study Bible is worth repeating:
“People sometimes feel guilty for feeling good about an accomplishment. This need not be so. Just as God felt good about his work, we can be pleased with our work when it is well-done. However, we should not feel good about our work if God would not be pleased with it. What are you doing that pleases both you and God?”[1]
God, thank you that we can enjoy the satisfaction of good work. Free us from the false “guilt” and condemnation that would rob us of this important source of joy.
ΑΩ
[1] Chronological Life Application Study Bible, King James Version. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois. 2013, note on Gen. 1:25.
Household Words: 