day no. 15,151: flatter-proof

1 Corinthians 4:6-7
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Christians should be flatter-proof. Flattery is nice words with wicked intentions. On the surface, it appears to be meant to make you feel good, but it only does so by stretching the truth or ignoring it altogether. In other words, it is founded on lies. And we don't help each other by lying to each other. We don't get people closer to God by speaking the devil's language. Christians should be fluent in Gospel, not in flattery. In fact, they shouldn't even enroll in flattery as a second language courses. You don't need to know how to speak flattery to recognize when someone else is speaking it. The accent gives it away.

Christians should have a proper sense of gratitude and humility which insulates them from flattery. They should know their strengths and from Whom they come. They should know their weaknesses and not be willing to overlook them. So when someone comes and tries to give us credit for something God did in us, we are not overwhelmed by their attempts to make us feel good. We know there is no one good but God and the good we have is His good gift to us. Conversely, when someone tries to make us feel less badly about something we did, we are not overwhelmed by their attempts to make us feel better about it. We know that sin is serious and failure is our contribution to our salvation. We don't need to cover our sins by making excuses because they are already covered by the blood of the Son of God in our place, for our sin. 

When you see yourself as God sees you, you are flatter-proof. No one can inflate your self worth beyond your humility and no one can depreciate your sense of sin beyond your understanding of your depravity. When you know you need and have a sinless Savior, you have no need for accentuating your goodness or mitigating your wickedness.