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"Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me."
(Colossians 4:7)
Have you ever given or received a secondhand compliment? A firsthand compliment is when someone speaks to you directly. A secondhand compliment is when someone says something favorable about you but not directly to you. Someone else hears the kind word and repeats it to you later.
I taught an intensive course for a few days last month for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is intensive because you cram sixteen weeks of class material into three days. I was honored to teach the class. Dr. Matt Queen called me last summer and said that he and the president of the seminary wanted me to fill in for him and teach this course on evangelism. I had a great time, and I hope it was as fulfilling for the students as it was for me.
A couple of weeks after the class, I got a text from Dr. Queen and a phone call from another friend, Dr. Frank Harber. They shared with me that they were attending a breakfast where President Adam Greenway shared with those attending about the class that I taught and how some of the students had texted Dr. Greenway about the class. The students shared favorable reviews about the class, and when Drs. Queen and Harber took the time to pass this secondhand compliment to me, well, it surely encouraged and blessed me.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a compliment like that? I know it is not the same as a direct word where someone speaks to you in person; however, I think you would agree that it is still a blessing.
The Apostle Paul does this in today's Scripture passage. Paul closes his epistle to the church at Colosse by telling them about his friend and co-laborer, a man by the name of Tychicus. Paul states three praiseworthy traits about him: he was a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant. Tychicus was a stellar servant of Christ. Paul took the time to commend him to the church at Colosse. Can you imagine how Tychicus must have felt when word got back to him what Paul wrote about him? I imagine it put a smile on his face and courage in his heart.
Secondhand compliments are not flattery. Flattery is where you say something nice hoping that someone will say or do something nice to you in return. But secondhand compliments are when you spread words of encouragement about another person. Oftentimes those words will be repeated and come as an encouragement to the recipient.
I bet you know someone (more likely, many people) who could use a compliment, be it a firsthand or secondhand one. Let me encourage you to share those affirming words with the person directly. Also, share encouraging words about people to others. Those encouraging words have a way of getting back to them. You will be a blessing, and who knows what good you will do for him or her. Mark Twain said he could get by for six months on one complement. Let us go and encourage someone today!
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