We all love to receive compliments or encouragement. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course! However, we need to be vigilant when we start to seek out only these flattering words.

It’s true that life can be complicated and difficult. Sometimes, the only thing that encourages us to move forward is a kind word. In fact, this is what several verses in Proverbs say, such as the one in chapter 16: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, making people happy and healthy” (Proverbs 16:24 NCV). Even in the New Testament, Christians are told to encourage one another. “So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NCV).

These beautiful words are like delicious desserts and succulent fruits. But our diet can’t consist only of sweet foods; we know that our bodies need balance and all kinds of nutrients. And sometimes, these good vitamins and the energy we need to function properly come from foods that are a little less pleasant or harder to chew. The same is true for our growth in maturity. We can’t just listen to flattering words; we also need correction at times. In fact, Paul tells Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NCV). The Word of God is not only there to give us spiritual hugs, but also to correct us or convince us to walk in the right direction.

Let us not be Christians who only seek flattering words. “Because the time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching but will find many more teachers who please them by saying the things they want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3 NCV). Let us beware of:

• teachings that do not ask us to change or improve;
• words that excuse our failures instead of encouraging us to admit our share of responsibility;
• amusing entertainment that distracts us from our essential tasks;
• sweet messages that do not ask us to exercise our faith or grow in maturity.

Let us also be careful about what we receive on our social media. There are algorithms that record everything we like and then give us back only what we like to hear. Flattering the ego is one of the best ways to build customer loyalty. Some influencers will only post empowering messages to Christian singles because it increases their number of followers. Let’s not be naive. Yes, God wants the best for us, but that “best” usually comes through a major transformation of our character. Let’s be willing to be corrected and to stretch our spiritual muscles through our faith.