Lip Service

Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/

By Pam Iannello (my late mother)

Psalm 12:6 (KJV)

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a

furnace of earth, purified seven times.

The Bible states above that the words of the Lord are pure words.  Do you appreciate that about the Lord, ladies?  If so, how are you demonstrating that when choosing your words, each and every one?  Of course, I had to stop for a moment and think about MY words after I read this verse...  Are they really pure?  You see, while God speaks with purity, man speaks with vanity.  One of those vanities comes in the form of lying lips, lips that are not truthful.  One of the disguises that lying lips wears is flattery.  There are some specific attitudes and behaviors that we need to guard against when it comes to the way we use our words, and flattery is certainly one of them!  It is lying, and it is an impure use of our

tongues...

Psalm 12:1-4 (KJV)

Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.  They speak vanity every one with his neighbor:  with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.  The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:  Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own:  who is lord over us?

Before we get further along with this topic, let's understand just exactly what flattery is.  Webster's 1828 defines it as:  "False praise, commendation bestowed for the purpose of gaining favor and influence, or to accomplish some purpose.  Direct flattery consists in praising a person himself; indirect flattery consists in praising a person through his works or his connections. Just commendation that gratifies self-love."

Now ladies, we are the masters of flattery, you must admit!  Many a woman has laid the trap of flattery to ensnare the unwary man and in so doing, broken up a marriage, a family, a home, a church etc.  From an early age we learn how to manipulate others for the purpose of gaining favor or influence, starting at home with our fathers as we coyly bestow our flattery upon them to serve our own purposes.  Then we carry it outside of our families and into the lives of others as we try to manipulate specific individuals into liking us, into favoring us over another person.  Often times we flatter in one area so we can have control in another...  We want to be sure of what we are getting in life, and flattery is one method we use.  Whatever we desire we feel we can accomplish through our tongues by our deception and our persuasion.  But are these words pure???  No, they are not!  They are lying lips speaking from a double heart, a heart that is full of self-love and treachery.  Inside we believe one thing with our hearts, but outside our lips are saying another!  The

Bible says that in order to have friends we must show ourselves friendly, not flattering!  Such action will not be tolerated, for the Bible says the Lord shall cut off all flattering lips. His Word promises us that... That’s a sure cure to an ongoing problem, amen? Where would that leave you?

Psalm 19:14 (KJV)

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

It’s disgusting to hear a person “butter up” someone. Flattery is phony and a false cover-up for a person’s real intentions. Christians should not be flatterers. Those who proclaim God’s truth have a special responsibility to be honest. Are you honest and straightforward in your words and actions; are they acceptable as far as God is concerned? Would you be willing to rebuke someone if necessary or do you prefer to tell people what they want to hear in order to get what you want or to get ahead?

Proverbs 28:23 (KJV)

He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.

I have seen flattery in action quite often since entering the ministry and while people come and go in our church.  Not all who grace the doors of our church appreciate honest preaching, and yet, with their lips they will still flatter the preacher for his sermon. Some people want the pastor and his family to like them best and so they bestow compliment upon compliment upon him, his wife, their children, his ministry and outreach etc. just so they can win the affection of the preacher.  They give out false praise and commendation for the purpose of gaining favor and influence with the pastor. This again is a result of self-love, and self-serving desires, better known as a double heart! It doesn't just go on in the church; it also goes on in the work place, as employees will flatter one another for personal gain.  The boss is also flattered for various reasons such as attaining a raise, securing a future promotion, getting another worker fired, or for the sole affection of their boss.  We are selfishly and skillfully working at getting others to do something for us...

Jeremiah 7:8 (KJV)

Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

What about our words???  Does anybody care anymore if his or her words are pure???  God does!  He never refers to flattery favorably.  Ladies, be sure that you are sincere with your compliments and comments! Do you really mean what you say??  It's not honest to give false praise. Why are you saying such things? Just to make others like you?  Just to gain control or power over others and direct their decisions?  Just to gain favor and influence?  As a child of God, surely you know better than that. It's sad when someone tries to control people through flattery, and it's also wrong because it is lying!  There is no faithfulness in the mouth of a flatterer. 

Job 32:21-22 (KJV)

Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.  For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.

While you are careful not to be a flatterer yourself, you must also beware that you are not taken in by the flattery bestowed upon you!  We may well recognize that flattery is poison, but its perfume still intoxicates us. Do you find yourself accepting and preferring persons that praise you more than those that don't?  Are you addicted to flattery? Are you easily led astray and manipulated, even controlled by the complimentary words of others?  A flatterer is one who tells you YOUR opinion, and not his own!  The Bible says in Proverbs 20:19 not to meddle with him that flattereth with his lips.  Don't get pulled into that

emotional snare!  For then you will be hooked by the devil with the lying lips of man used as his bait!  Treachery lurks in honeyed words...

Proverbs 26:28 (KJV)

A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

Ephesians 5:6 (KJV)

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:5 the apostle Paul declared that he used not flattering words at any time. In other words, he abhorred flattery! Paul never compromised his message to make it more acceptable in order to win converts or influence followers of Christ. What a great testimony – and pure employment of his tongue… Can you say the same today, dear lady?  Or are you a distorter of the truth? As we conclude this study, keep in mind that flattery is a ball and chain that will hinder your walk with the Lord. Test them; make sure each one of your words is pure before they escape your lips!

Proverbs 30:5a (KJV)

Every word of God is pure....

God Bless,

Pam

Isaiah 60:1&2

Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello

Revised 2004