Expensive Praise

The story is told that gen. Robert lee was ask by confederate president Jefferson Davis to give his opinion about a certain officer. Lee gave a glowing report.

One of the officers in attendance was greatly astonished at his word and said to lee, "general, do you not know that the man of whom you speak so highly to the president is one of your bitterest enemies, and misses no opportunity to malign you?"

"Yes" said lee," but the president ask my opinion of him; he did not ask for his opinion of me."

When we speak well to our enemies, we are doing three things: first, we increase our own value. We show that we are able to rise above cheap criticism and bestow expensive "praise" on another.

Second, we diffuse our enemy's criticism of us. Any person hearing both our praise of an enemy and our enemy's disdain for us is likely to conclude that we are better than we have been described!

Third, we reveal to others that we are diligent investigators. It takes effort to find something good to say about someone who hates you; it takes very little effort or intelligence to respond with hate or hurtful ridicule.

"A MAN NEVER DISCLOSES HIS OWN CHARACTER SO CLEARLY AS WHEN HE DESCRIBES ANOTHER'S."

A good man out of a good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. Matthew 12:35

Sources: God's Little Devotional Book
www.all.at/treasures

To the world, you may just be somebody...but to somebody, you may be the world.

In His Steps Ministries
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