Saturday, July 20th

How do you like it when someone compliments you?  Most of us, though we might not know how to respond, like to be praised.  Perhaps some of us enjoy it too much:-)  But, the Scripture indicates that there is a time to honor people.  Proverbs 27:21 says this,

As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.

We know that the fining pot makes the silver prettier, better; the furnace purifies gold.  So, the right kind and the correct amount of praise is a help to people.  However, we need to be careful that we aren't excessive in our compliments to someone because then it becomes flattery.  And, the Bible also talks about this word:

He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

So, wherein is the difference between the two words--flattery and praise?  Flattery is trying to build up someone's self-esteem.  To be honest, most of us do not need MORE self-esteem; we need less.  But, to praise someone's actions, someone's choices is different.  The right kind of praise encourages us on...leads us to try harder.  Let me give a personal example.  Today someone left me a note that said simply, "I love you...Thanks for being my hero."  That one small note made my heart happy and gave me the push to continue lifting up the blood-stained banner, and it gave me the hope that the choices and decisions I make are impacting others. 

Now, one more thing:  please don't misunderstand my thoughts today.  I do not think it's wrong to compliment someone on their hair...their make-up...their dress.  It's good to tell people they look nice!  Just be sure you are complimenting or praising the right things.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 20
Matthew 27