Have you ever gotten a beautiful compliment from someone and it made your day?  Then later you overhear that same person tell another that you have to have compliments in order to make you feel you measure up as a person.  There is nothing more emotionally damaging than for someone to tell you a lot of nice things they don’t mean and you find out the truth later.  How do you trust someone like that?  You don’t.  Those people damaged their own ability to be trusted.  Trust is something that is earned and once it’s broken it’s next to impossible to get it back fully.

Has anyone offended you by saying all the right things the wrong way.  You later find out the person was very sincere but doesn’t have what it takes to say things affectively.  Your opinion of that person changes from anger to appreciative but it’s too late.  You have already lashed out at that person.

Honesty and truth, even though it may not be what we want to hear, is always best.  It prevents hardships, misunderstandings and lost friendships.   Accepting what others say in good faith that they mean well will also prevent trouble.

God knows every heart and every motive.  God knows when a person is genuine and when they are not.  Returning kindness, no matter what is delivered to us in words, is a way of trusting God in all things.  God will reveal a wrong motive and punish in His timing and His way.  He will also reveal a pure motive and reward in His timing and His way.  God never judges us on impure motives toward us from others.  Our kindness in all things is what pleases God.

1 Corinthians 4:5

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.