Together in Christ: 'Too Many Sweets Sicken the Delight' — Proverbs 25:27

Many of us struggle to feel important. This insecurity manifests in conversations with others when we brag about ourselves or bring the conversation back to ourselves with a flattering story about something we have done or experienced. When we see the "humble brag" in others, we should examine our speech for such a self-exalting focus. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that paying too much attention to ourselves and our worth is similar to "eating too much honey" or other thick sweets. In consuming sweets, we move from delight to cloyingly sweet — that yucky, "Argh, I've had too much sweet stuff!" feeling.

Our wisdom today about our relationships comes from Proverbs. This proverb reminds us that we must not overlook the humble brag, the insecure routing of conversations to end in our having the final word or the cute retort. When we suck all conversation dry to satisfy our lagging self-esteem, we leave a cloying taste in the hearts of those around us. Today's relationship verse is straightforward and blunt: "... it's not good to seek honors for yourself." The image chosen is powerful: just as too much honey loses its delightfulness and becomes cloying, so can we if we seek honor for ourselves. We need to remember the following principle in every conversation:

Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. ^[1]