“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler …” (Psalm 91:3)
Looking for the praise of men is a deadly pursuit.
The testimony of Christ was: “I receive not honour from men.” (John 5:41) Likewise, Paul declared: “… Do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
Seeking honor from men makes us vulnerable to their flatteries. Do we crave recognition from men? Do we seek their validation? Do we yearn for their “reward”? Then a snare awaits us. “A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.” (Prov. 29:5)
If we are to live for God, we must love the praise of God more the praise of man. Flatterers are manipulators. We will only escape the snare of the flatterer when our eye is single and we seek the honor that comes from above only.
There are some compliments we should graciously receive; there are others we should wisely decline.