Proverbs 27:5-6 (NLT)
5 An open rebuke is better than hidden love! 6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
It is good when our friends care enough about us to be open concerning our faults. It takes courage for a friend to bring forth our faults and sins. It is a lot easier to hide a problem fearing love will be lost than to give criticism for the fault. While the rebuke may be painful at first it is better than suffering at the hands of those who might despise us.
How do you respond when you have a close friend who knows you and cares for you tells you something about yourself that is unpleasant to hear. Do you stop and listen? Or do you push your friend aside so they are unwilling to talk to you?
If you are in the category of stopping to listen you must be commended for your willingness to listen to the reproof of a friend. Their words may hurt, but their intention is pure. They want to show you a fault in your life that needs correction. Imagine steering a boat into the fog. Blindly you are heading towards the shore, confident of your abilities, but lacking information. Suddenly you see a light house pointing the way to safe and secure waters. It is there you find safety because of the guidance of the lighthouse. Your friend is the light house showing you the safe path you need to follow. You have missed something, overlooked, ignored, or didn’t want to deal with a problem in your life. Your friend has brought the problem to light and their desire is to guide you to a place of safety. Listen and heed their advice.
On the other hand if you are in the category of pushing aside those who want to warn you of problems in your life you limiting your chances for success. You will miss the opportunities to make a correction. These missed opportunities will lead you down a wrong path where you will fall into the hands of the enemy. There you may find flattery and sweet words to allure you, but their motive is self-seeking and not in your interest. Be careful for your fall may be near.
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