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I doctor my coffee – extensively. Some would even say that I take my cream and sugar with a little coffee. Seriously, I have problems.

But even I can find it too much. I recently made the mistake of pouring the sugar straight from the container, and you guessed it, dumped way too much in there. It was undrinkable. I had to cut the cup in half and add more coffee just to un-sugar it some.

This got me thinkin’…

Sometimes we over-sugar our words, you know what I mean? In an attempt to be nice, we overstate. We flatter to make someone else feel better, but do we mean what we’re saying? For real?

I’m talking about saying things like, “You’re the absolute best _____ ever!”

We pile on sugary words, but really what we’re doing is setting that person up to get a serious sugar-high, or worse yet, a cavity.

Sugar-high?

Think about it – unrealistic beliefs about how good they really are at something. Unable to handle it when they fail. If they have a realistic belief about how good they are, then if/when they fail, they won’t be devastated. It’ll be easier for them to pick up and try again. Their entire worldview won’t have to change. In other words, they won’t have to suffer through and overcome shock in order to try again and finally succeed.

A cavity?

Soul-blackening pride.

Pride is a huge issue on God’s list of things that are bad. Pride comes before a fall. Pride sets us up to fall in more permanent ways, because it makes us think nothing can conquer us.

It makes us forget to rely on God for His strength.

It makes us take matters into our own hands, to start to manage our own lives and think we don’t need God anymore.

So yes, praise, good words, are vital to those around us. Praise real accomplishment. A person should get praise for what they are doing.

Words of love are different. They are unconditional, not dependent on any accomplishment, or any outward things. Love and appreciate someone for who they are, not just what they do.

Praise in moderation, love abundantly and without reserve. But learn the difference between the two.

About the Author:

Sherry grew up in various cities around northern and central California. This gave her all sorts of stories that sat and festered in her brain, waiting to be let loose. She eventually went to college in Wisconsin, where she met her equally frenetic husband, Rich. They have six (yes, count them) children, two dogs and a cat, and currently reside in a madhouse in the southern California area. As a family, they enjoy being active in their local church. Sherry spends her time writing when not caring for Granny, the kids, the dogs, the cat and any number of strays in the neighborhood.

Sherry Chamblee can be found at http://www.sherrychamblee.weebly.com Or check out her books at http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Chamblee/e/B00BA06RJ2/