Redundancy of Praise

Praising people for doing good seems redundant.

Since there is no need to change what is good doesn't it make sense that we would work on what needs fixing? I think so, its not negativity as so many people think, its correction to cause people to do what is productive and healing.

Hebrews 3:13 "13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. "

Proverbs 27:6
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."

Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Psalm 141:5
"Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds."

Luke 17:3
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."

1 Thessalonians 5:14
"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

I see no scripture that says praise daily. Encouraging someone is not praise it is the action of a coach, "keep going the way you are going its the right way." This is far different from praise. Praise is superficial and smacks of flattery.

If someone is already doing the right thing it makes no sense to spend time on convincing them to begin doing right, they are getting it on their own.

I am convinced it makes more sense to help fix what is broken so it will become well.

Once someone changes the way they do things to become righteous they will not go back to the old way again, unless they were play acting without commitment to righteousness.

Romans 12:1-2 "1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.…"

We can rejoice with those who rejoice but constant adulation is not good for people it causes them to depend on it to keep going. If we are following people instead of Christ we are fleshly and often arrogant.

We have seen this in ministries frequently, those who become popular, hearing praise all the time tend to forget the mission and begin playing to the crowd for those applause. This is when they begin to compromise the word of God, even going off into heresy to keep the applause coming.

When we can obey God without the need for compliments is the day we are truly walking with God. The prophets had to do it, the apostles had to do it, the disciples had to do it and we must do it too, trusting Christ alone.