By Minister Sonnie Robinson (July 2025)

There is a modern expression that describes an old human need. The expression is “kissing up” and it means to cultivate favor with a superior. The human need is the need to be liked and appreciated by others, especially those who are superior to us in some way, or those who possess something we desire.

The term is usually negative because it suggests a measure of hypocrisy, implying that a person is being nice or especially helpful, not because they genuinely want to, but because they want something in return.  There are, however, some important differences between kissing up to people and kissing up to God.

Our praise for people is often hypocritical because we rarely mean it, or they are not truly deserving of what we say about them. However, God is always worthy of any good thing we say about Him. He deserves all the praise we can give, since there are not enough hours in the day to offer Him all the praise He truly deserves. Our issue with God is that we do not praise Him highly enough, loudly enough, or often enough. It is never hypocrisy because all we say is entirely true.

People love to be “kissed up” to because it appeals to their pride. Even if they don’t believe you, they still like to hear you kiss up because it makes them feel good. But God knows the truth. His word is truth (John 17:17) and so we cannot lie to God or hide the truth from Him. Throughout the Bible, God rejected the praise and worship of His people because their hearts were far from Him. Isaiah said: You worship me with your lips but your hearts are far from me.- Matthew 15:8.  Men only hear what our lips say, but God knows the heart and can truly discern the sincerity of our praise.

Human beings can only give what is human, no matter who they are. Only God can give what is godly: forgiveness, insight into the spiritual realm, the joy of fellowship with God, and, most importantly, eternal life.

So, here’s the thing, when you are in worship, try to remember what is happening.  It is not just singing or saying words in a prayer, and ceremonial eating of bread and the fruit of the vine. We are kissing up to God. This is why we do what we do, and why we are on our best behavior. It is not hypocritical or negative. We want and need to cultivate a good relationship with Him because He deserves it, and there are great rewards to be had.

The most interesting difference is that, God actually looks for people who want to kiss up to Him. He searches for them and encourages them to obey Him, praise Him, and love Him so He can save them and bless them.  Have a blessed week filled with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.

Blessings!