Beware Of Flattery

‘Man is tested by the praise he receives.’ Proverbs 27:21 NIV

The English word flatterer comes from a French term that means ‘to pat, smooth, or caress’. So a flatterer is someone who will pat you on the back with one hand and, in some cases, knife you in the back with the other. Flattery is something a person will say to your face but will not say behind your back. It’s insincere praise from an insincere motive. And the Bible warns us to beware of it: ‘To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet.’ (Proverbs 29:5 NLT) Flatterers will do you no good. In fact, Solomon says that in the long run you’re better off with a person who will criticise you than a person who will flatter you. ‘He who rebukes a man will find more favour afterward than he who flatters.’ (Proverbs 28:23 NKJV) When it comes to flattery you should always keep these two things in mind:

(1) Give praise sparingly but sincerely, with nothing but the best in mind for the other person.

(2) Receive praise wisely, without taking yourself or the person giving the praise too seriously.

Always remember that flattery was the weapon that Satan used to bring Adam and Eve down in the Garden of Eden: ‘You will be like God.’ (Genesis 3:5 NKJV) That’s why Solomon writes, ‘The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.’ So, the question you should always ask yourself when someone praises you is this: does this make me more big-headed or more big-hearted????

谨防奉承

鼎为炼银，炉为炼金，人的称赞也试炼人。(箴言 27:21 和合本)

英语中“奉承”这个词来源于法语，意思是“拍打、抚慰或爱抚”。所以拍马屁的人常常是这样的人：他用一只手抚摸你的后背，却用另一只手在你的背上动刀子。奉承话都是一个人当着你的面说的，你不在场时他是不会那样说的。这种不真诚的赞扬都是来自不真诚的动机。《圣经》也警告我们要当心：谄媚邻舍的，就是设网罗绊他的脚。(箴言 29:5 和合本) 奉承者对你没有好处。事实上，所罗门说，从长远来看，你最好找一个会批评你的人，而不是一个会奉承你的人。责备人的，后来蒙人喜悦，多于那用舌头谄媚人的。(箴言 28:23 和合本) 再碰到奉承话时，你应该永远记住这两点：

（1）在赞扬别人的时候，应当谨慎而真诚。

（2）明智地接受表扬，不要把自己或表扬你的人看得太重。

永远记住，在伊甸园里撒旦就是用奉承话将亚当和夏娃带入堕落之中：“你将像上帝一样。”(创世记3:5) 这也是为什么所罗门写道：鼎为炼银，炉为炼金，人的称赞也试炼人。(箴言 27:21 和合本)

所以，当别人称赞你时，你应该总是问自己一个问题：这次会让我的脑袋变得更大，还是让我的心变得更大？

（翻译：段麦克 @ 20180418）