Insolomonsporch's Blog

Day Twenty-One

Be Careful What You Are Hearing

“… The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear,…”

Mk 4:24 Amplified

            We live in a precarious time – much more than is realized.  It is an age of measured, careful words, political correctness, and grave concern over dealing in truth and love.  Truth is parsed, modified, and watered down.  We love to be stroked and complimented by words.  We believe the ones who truly love us will tell us things that make us feel good about ourselves.  Between truth and flattery – it appears we prefer flattery.

            So is it wrong for us to compliment, or flatter?  Is it dangerous to desire to build someone up?  Well — let’s look at this.

            When we compliment a person, what are we strengthening in that person?  Are we strengthening their spirit man — or simply their flesh?  Am I complimenting their skills, thought processes, speaking ability and delivery?  Am I amazed at their erudition, their grasp on an issue or their ability to unpack that topic with eloquence and simplicity?  Please understand – if I am a servant of God and doing His work – then it is His work that we are seeing unfold in a servant, and our praise should be to Him alone.  To God be the glory!

            Philippians 2:13 is very straightforward:

                        “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” 

So as we set the matter or task at hand before the Lord, asking for Him to establish the work in us according to His will (Prov 16:3), then truly we cannot safely take credit for its outcome or success.  Indeed, I would say that it is dangerous to do so for it feeds in us the very same soulish/fleshly nature that we are called to surrender and put to death as a living sacrifice, before being able to do this work according to the spirit.

            The greatest difficulty in the Christian walk is to continuously walk according to the spirit of God.  Galatians 3:3 confirms this with its biting truth: “Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?”

            Romans 6:16 further affirms this in showing us that what we surrender to rules over us for either sin, or obedience.  If I surrender to a belief that my flesh is worth accolades from man, if I take in flattery as truth, then it is a very easy step to believe that I am “something worthy of flattery!”  That in essence negates the need for the cross, because my flesh is good.  This part of my flesh is ok!  Saints – NO FLESH IS EVER GOOD!!!  So complimenting flesh becomes a dangerous slippery slope that I myself do not want to walk on, or place others on either.

            But you say – “Well flattery can’t be all that bad, right?”  In the Book of Job, a righteous man (Elihu) puts this light on flattery.  He says:  “I will not [I warn you] be influenced by respect for any man’s person and show partiality, neither will I flatter any man.  For I know not how to flatter, [wasting my time in mere formalities, for then] my Maker would soon take me away.” (Job 32:21-22)

            So why are flattery and compliments dangerous?  They cause us to regard ourselves again, and they take the regard off of Christ where it should be.  After submitting our flesh and ourselves before the Lord, to render them inoperative – why would I want to again awaken or inflate again those elements of the flesh?  I would not!

            If something is good, if it is of merit, if it is true, or praiseworthy – I can be very sure it did not originate with me.  It was given to me by Jesus through His Holy Spirit.  Then I am called to give praise where praise is due – to Him!  It is His effectual work!  I cannot even take credit for my effort and surrender, because even in that it is not in my own strength – but in His working in me!  So if you must compliment – give it in praise to the Lord for the work He has been able to do through that person.  Not for the person themselves!

            Be-loved, be-warned!