The other day, I ran into one of my brother’s friends from high school. We talked for a few minutes, catching up on old times, but seeing him reminded me of when I first met him almost twenty years ago.

“Brad” was the new guy at school, and immediately he got the attention of several of my friends. It seemed he picked a new girl each week and paid her special attention, talking to her on the phone and passing notes to her in class. Even though every girl seemed to get the same, routine “special” treatment, part of me hoped that I would also have a turn as Brad’s girl of the week.

Finally, my turn came. I ran into him on my way to second period and he passed me a note! I was thrilled!

I skimmed over the note as fast as I could until I found what I was looking for. “You look really good today!” the note read. It was what Brad always wrote, (you know how high school girls compare notes), and I was ecstatic that he finally thought that I looked good too! Me! I felt so special!

Until fifth period, that is, when I realized… “Wait! Brad gave me that note before second period. He hadn’t even seen me yet! He had no idea what I looked like today, much less if I looked good or not.”

Yep. It was all a line. They were just empty words that Brad said to all the girls, regardless of whether or not they were true. It didn’t break my heart, but it did give me a lesson in meaningless flattery.

“He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.” Proverbs 28:23

As women, we all love to hear someone say, “You look really good today!” And there’s nothing wrong with receiving a compliment about your appearance.  But use discretion when it comes to the things you hear. Consider the source. Consider the subject. After all, which is more valuable – a sweet-talking man or a friend who tells you when you have a huge piece of broccoli stuck in your teeth?