Romans16:17-19–I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

With some friends and family very skeptical about ministers and church ministry, I do my best not to use “flattery”, but rather try to find something genuine to say or say nothing at all.  For example complimenting someone about something you don’t really mean is a form of deceit. That what we express with our mouth is not at all what we feel from the heart…

Of course if we always said what we really felt all the time there would fights everywhere.  But those are the times we are to be genuine with God to change our hearts, or to keep from being deceptive, say nothing until we can go to God if we need to.  What the Lord desires from us when we strive to do such things is sincerity.  No one feels secure in a relationship where there seems to be signs of deceit…

This is what the apostle Paul wanted to get rid of that other ministers created.  Their flattery had a hidden and deceitful agenda to promote themselves.  So Paul knowing this, did not want his ministry to be perceived to be about his own agenda, but about Jesus and the gospel alone.

God desires us to be honest about where our hearts are, and deal with them so that when we do compliment someone, or do a nice gesture, they sense the genuine nature of our hearts, and not become skeptical of an agenda.  It is dangerous that we can get so used to not having our heart and mouth “connected”, that we make it a habit of saying and doing things we don’t mean.  It makes more for suspicion than trust in relationships.

In His Love, Ld