Biblical affirmation isn’t what usually comes to mind when we think of speaking the truth in love. We tend to think of correction, teaching, exhortation, or rebuke. If someone is headed in the right direction, why would they need truth spoken to them? If they’re already on the right path, what is there to say? But Scripture models for us (and personal experience confirms) that affirmation is a powerful tool in helping others become more like Jesus.
I believe one of the main reasons affirmation gets a bad rap is because our culture has come to affirm everything, whether it’s true or not. We tell every kid that they were great on the baseball field. We tell every employee that they’re vital to the company. We tell every fan in the stands that they were instrumental to their team winning the game. The problem is that the kid, the employee, and the fan all know when it’s not actually true.
Biblical affirmation is not saying nice things to build someone’s self-esteem. Biblical affirmation is the recognition of gifts, strengths, and growth in a person’s life in order to promote God esteem.
The point of biblical affirmation is to recognize the
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