Safeguards Against Flattery

Flattery gratifies the self-love or vanity of the one flattered.  It tends to give a person an inflated view of his own worth, making him feel superior to others in some way.  The philosopher Francois de La Rochefoucauld likened flattery to  counterfeit money, "which, but for vanity have not circulation."  Thus, the way to safeguard oneself is to heed the apostle Paul's down-to-earth admonition:  "I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think; but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has distributed  to him a measure of faith." -Romans 12:3.

Though our natural inclination is to want to hear what is pleasing to our ears, what we really need most of the time are Bible-based counsel and discipline.  (Proverbs 16:25) King Ahab wanted to hear only what pleased him; his servants even asked the prophet Micaiah to let his word become "like the word of one of them [Ahab's flattering prophets], and you must speak good." (1 Kings 22:13)  Had Ahab been willing to listen to straight talk and change his rebellious ways, he could have prevented the terrible battle losses to Israel and also his own death.   For our own  spiritual welfare, we should be quick to respond  to the firm, yet loving counsel  of appointed Christian elders, who want to help us to stay on the straight path  of truth, rather than search out people who keep telling us how wonderful  we are, tickling our ears with flattering speech! -Compare 2 Timothy 4:3. 

Christians would never for any reason, want to resort to flatter.  Like faithful Elihu, they determinedly  pray:  "Let me not be partial toward anybody, nor flatter any man; for I do not know how to flatter, else would my Maker soon take me away."  Then like Paul, they would be able to say:  "At no time have we turned up either with flattering speech . . .or with a false front for covetousness." -Job 32:21, 22 An American Translation; 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 6. 

Next time: Praise Where It Is Due

From the Watchtower magazine, 1998