There is a whole lot of difference between honour and flattery.
However, they look the same.
You can be congratulated on your work, how you speak, your wisdom and how you are with people. You can be praised for your righteous lifestyle. You can have lots of ‘likes’ on social media.
But flattery strokes the ego; it manipulates; it tells you things what is not being said behind your back; the passive-aggressive use flattery as a weapon of war.
“Those who flatter their neighbours are spreading nets for their feet.” (Proverbs 29 v 5)
“Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22 v 15-17)
The religious leaders wanted Jesus to fall into their trap of making him say something against Rome. His answer was perfect as it always is.
The duplicitous are always close by.
Some don’t even know they are doing it. They think they are simply being nice. Flattery is nice, right?
We learn flattery early on in life and then some can become experts in it.
Some have friends that are actually friends with gain. They are hoping to get. Their new friend will open doors for them etc.
Secret plans are being made today based on greed and selfish need. This is spiritual warfare and the Church, the Christian, you, can be at the centre of that plan.
These comments can honour you and yet be a manipulative ruse, a dishonest ambush and as much an attack as if someone had punched you.
Be careful what is taken from you. The narcissist is never far from us.
Missions Paul 