Careful With The Compliments

A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

Proverbs 26:28, HCSB

WE ALL HAVE CERTAIN EGO NEEDS. Acceptance. Love. Care. Tenderness. And so many voices out there promise to meet those needs or at least convince us that we aren’t getting our needs met in the right place. Once we get married, we must meet those needs within the boundaries of our own marriage.

But what if someone else’s needs aren’t being met? It is quite possible that your female coworker is starved for caring words and tender romance that are long gone from her own marriage. You may mean nothing by your compliments to her, but she may take them the wrong way. She may begin to try to get her needs met through you instead of her husband. When that happens, friend, you are in deep weeds!

Instead of flattering and flirting, show professionalism. Ask yourself: Would I share this compliment in front of my wife? Encourage that coworker regarding her work habits, her timeliness, or her character and integrity, as appropriate. And always do it in the company of other people, never alone. Otherwise, you are playing with fire. Proverbs 6:27 says, “Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?”

Save the compliments, the gifts, the flattery, and the flirting for the one whom God has provided for you—your wife. Because some compliments just don’t pay.

BOTTOM LINE

Put the needs of your wife before your own. She is your priority.

Moment of Strength: Proverbs 6:20-35