A
lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering
mouth works ruin.
– Proverbs 26v28
Flattery is a
word that we would not necessarily put on the list of 'major sins.'
Yet, when the Bile speak of flattery, or flattering, or flattering
lips it is always in a negative sense. Flattering lips are paired
with a 'double heart.' We read of flattering lips being 'cut off''
False teachers use flattering speech to deceive.
Flattery, I
think, is more that just going over the top with praise. It seems
that flattery is based out of a heart that is seeking something for
itself. Flattery makes people feel good for a moment, but there is
more to it than it seems. Flattery is actually another form of lying.
It is deceitful and damaging and destructive.
Edmund Burke
wrote 'Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.' Someone
else wrote 'Gossip is what you say about the objects of flattery when
they are not around.' Hank Ketchem, the cartoonist who gave us Dennis
the Menace, put it in words we all understand – 'Flattery in like
chewing gum. Enjoy it, but don't swallow it.
As believers
our words are to be above reproach. Lets be sure that our praise for
others is sincere and offered from a sincere heart. Lets not say
anything that is going to cause harm, even if it sounds good at the
moment.
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