Is Flattery a Friend or Foe? (Seven Things You Should Know About Flattery)

•  What does the word of God say about flattery?
• Don't give flattering titles unto men. 
• We know not to give flattering titles unto men. 
• Those who speak with a flattering tongue have a double heart. 
• There are consequences to flattery.
• There is a trap being laid for those that speak flattery to others. 
• Those that speak flattering words are not faithful. 

So you might ask where did you get this information is this just your opinion.  

The answer is no this is defiantly not just my opinion. These statements are taken directly from scripture. 

In the book of Job we read as follows:

Job 32:21 "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man." and we also see in Job 32:22 "For I know not to give flattering titles, in so doing my maker would soon take me away. 

We further see that the scriptures verifies that those that flatter with their lips speak with a double heart. 

Job 12:2 "They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak."

So we see that vanity plays a roll in speaking with flattering lips as well as having a double heart.  We know that vanity means worthless, useless, etc.  We do not want our words to be considered by others as worthless or useless do we?  After others begin to see that you are full of flattery they will no longer know if they can believe you or not when you say something kind to them or give them a complement. 

Going forward and looking into our forth point, that being that there are consequences for speaking with flattery, scripture gives in Job 17:5 the following admonishment.

Job17:5 " He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail. 

And in the wise words of Proverbs we read:

Proverbs 29:5 "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet."

We can find our self being our own worst enemy if we do not take heed to the warnings in scripture on this subject. 

And last but not least we see that there truly is no faithfulness in those that flatter others. 

Psalm 5:9 "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

So if indeed we find our self being some one who flatters others, there is but one remedy today, after our reading what scripture has to say about those who practice such things and that is to heed 1 John 1:9 and take the Lord at his word and know that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

Take God at his word and know that He did not come to condemn, but to seek and to save that which was lost!! 

God bless you!! 

by, Denise Jeter