Excessive Praise!

“If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse”.    Prov. 27:14  NIV

When is a blessing a curse?

When it is flattery!   Excessive blessings, compliments or praise are actually a curse, for there is a false or foolish motive behind them.   The person has already deceived you or is about to deceive you.   Godly men and women are not moved by flattery, nor do they give flattery to others.

 In the above verse the man praises his friend with a loud voice.  The sound level indicates an insincere display rather than a holy and noble compliment.   He intends for the friend and others around to hear the blessing!   He is using a blessing with a hidden motive rather than a friendly edification.

God hates flattery.   Flattery is a compliment or praise to get another person to believe or do something wrong.  

Wise people do not give flattering titles to men though it is very popular today in religious circles (Matt. 23:6-12).    Some ministers demand flattery from others by using a fancy title as “Father” or “Bishop” or “Apostle” or “Deacon” …..etc

Paul never used flattery when in Thessalonica, which is totally contrary to the manipulating and egos that is so popular today (I Thess. 2:5).   

In a marketing era, image is more important than content, appearance than performance and perception than reality; so it is easy to approve flattery.

Wise men ignore most bad things said about them and they ignore all good things said about them.   One act of true kindness is more meaningful than many exuberant blessings.   

Correction is far more valuable for prosperity and success than any compliment.  It is a duty for Christians to think soberly of themselves, but this is hard to do, if you enjoy the praise of man.

All praise is not sin.  Praise to get a person to believe or do something wrong is sin. To manipulate with praise or flattery is sin.

Praise severely tests a person’s character.  Most people are vulnerable to flattery; they believe the praise is true and they will compromise to get more of it.

“The purity of silver and gold is tested
by putting them in the fire; the purity of human hearts is tested
by giving them a little fame”.  Prov. 27:21 MSG Bible