Not from the outside. Self-congratulation is suspect. You cannot pin praises to yourself and expect them to stick. Making a big deal about yourself will eventually end up proving how average you are. You can think the world of yourself, but it’s wisest to keep that to yourself.
Self-promotion is the drug of our age. Seeing ourselves staring back at us through filters and frames is intoxicating. Literally. Every like and comment gives our brains a little hit of dopamine, and furnishes our soul with another fig leaf to hide behind.
That said, I believe that the desire to be affirmed as good and worthy is part of being created in the image of God. I believe that it’s part of God’s design in us. It’s a mark of godliness, not sinfulness. It’s a feature, not a bug. If the Creator is inherently worthy of glory, then so are his creatures.
The problem comes—as it does with anything we might call “sin”—when we try to satisfy our own desires. Our deepest hunger can only be satiated from the outside. The things we most deeply crave can only be received as gifts. This includes being told that we are worthy of love. And glory. And honor. And praise.
Resist the urge for self-glory. Instead, turn that desire outward by honoring someone else. Not in a way that you’re fishing for a compliment in return, but with a contented trust that as you sow, so will you reap.
