You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
1 Thessalonians 2:5 NIV
Flattery
According to the canada-calendar.ca website “Flattery is dishonest when used to gain or control. It is effective because everyone has insecurities and loves to be told great things about themselves. People come to associate the flatterer with overstatement, and they may lose confidence in the reliability of the flatterer’s judgment. Over time, whatever the flatterer says is taken with a grain of salt.
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It was said that when Jonathan Edwards preached his classic sermon titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” he did so without flourish and fanfare. In fact, he almost read it, word for word from his notes. The power of the message wasn’t in flowery preaching and flattery, but in the truth it proclaimed. When the apostle Paul was writing his letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he reminded them of this. In 1 Thessalonians 2:5, he writes, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness.” We live in a world that prizes polish and persuasion. Flattery can sound loving. Religious language can sound sincere. But God looks beyond the surface. He sees the heart beneath the words, the intent behind the action, the motive driving the service. Paul invites us to live transparently before God—to speak truth without manipulation and serve without self-interest. Whether we’re teaching, leading, encouraging, or simply living our faith at home, the question remains: Who are we trying to please? Others? Ourselves? Or God? May our lives echo Paul’s confidence: honest words, open hearts, and motives that stand unashamed before the Lord.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley