A Faithful Friend (Proverbs 27:5-6)
Proverbs 27:5-6, Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Give me for a friend a man who will speak honestly of me before my face; who will not tell first one neighbor, and then another, but who will come straight to my house and say: ‘I feel there is wrong in you, my brother, that I must tell you of.’ That man is a true friend. He has proved himself to be so, for we never get any praise for telling people of their faults; we rather hazard their dislike.” Respond to your friends in such a way that they are willing to speak up when you need correction. A true friend cares enough to confront. I’m so grateful that throughout my life I’ve had those who would put their arms around my shoulders and help me when I’ve done wrong.
Many people suffer because they lack a friend who is deep and committed enough to offer correction when it is needed. Often the reason no one speaks to point out a flaw in time for us to correct it without serious damage is found in our response to those who attempt to offer advice or correction. A man or woman who responds with anger or frustration to such an attempt will soon stop receiving them and that is a very dangerous position to be in.
Proverbs 27:5, Open rebuke is better than secret love. This suggests confronting a problem openly. It is far better to do it sooner than to let it fester and grow. Harboring secret love for another is one thing. Harboring unresolved resentment is another. No one likes rebuke. Even when we realize it is needed, it is usually a hard pill to swallow. A godly friend is not afraid to lovingly point out a danger in a friend's life. They will tell you the truth for your own good. When we truly love others, we do not sit silently and watch them as they continue in their destructive behavior.
Proverbs 27:6, Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Criticism from a friend may sting like a wound, but typically a friend’s criticism is for our own good. A true friend will hurt us in order to help us but an enemy will kiss us in order to harm us. We must ask ourselves do we sincerely love our friends enough to rebuke them of their pernicious ways.
1. Be Concerned.
An honest friend, will display their love to their friend by correcting them and keeping them from a foolish or fatal act. The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. This warns us that not all kisses are the [Hi, Great to see you.] greetings of a friend. They may come from an enemy and be deceitful. Unfortunately, the Bible is filled with numerous examples of the deceptive kisses of an enemy. The most famous kiss of an enemy was Judas Iscariot kissing Jesus. Though he claimed to be a friend and kissed Christ, he was a traitor.
Godly friends seek to edify each other and help protect each other from the dangers of this world. If you want to see who your real friends are, just make a mistake and see whether or not they leave you. Two men who were out hunting in the northern U.S. suddenly, one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly bear charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" True friends do not run away when troubles come, but seek to help protect their friends from the danger. A faithful friend will be there to hold you up when you stumble. Love is what we need when we stumble and truth is what we need when we stray.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend. A mark of a faithful friend is that they will be willing to wound us with loving correction. The correction may not feel good but it will be an expression of the love and faithfulness of a friend. The ‘wounds’ are the painful words that must be addressed in a true friendship in order to heal or a broken relationship. Before anyone engages in correcting their wayward friend, they should pray for wisdom. Seeking the Lord to lead them in ministering to them as they speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
2. Be Candid.
This means we should be direct and honest and not deceitful. If we want to build relationships with others, we must be honest. This means telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Anyone who has a “friend” who refuses to tell them when they are doing wrong, or who plans or participates, they are not their friends. The Bible warns that they are your enemies and their kisses are deceitful. If they really love you, they will say to you, “You know what you are doing is wrong. You know it is different from what you have been taught. You know that God cannot bless it.”
We need friends who will come to our aid and lift us up with their life-giving loyalty. Ecclesiastes 4:13 says, “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.” None of us are wise and godly enough not to need friends to help us improve. None of us are able to identify all of our blind spots and see where we may be vulnerable without even realizing it. Corporations pay huge sums of money to people who attempt to break through their security systems & identify weaknesses before they can be exploited. Our friends (true friends) provide such a warning system for us if we have the humility and wisdom to listen to them. The fact that correction comes from a friend does not make it painless. We should view it as a needed wound and appreciate it. If we are true friends, we will tell our friends the truth to help them, even if it might make them annoyed with us. Always compliment in public and correct in private. No marriage, friendship, or other relationship can survive unless it is built on candidness and honesty.
3. Be Confidential.
There are very few people who can be trusted with sensitive, personal information. We all need a friend with whom we can share our hurts, fears, and frustrations. One of the quickest ways to hurt people is to repeat a confidence.
A man noticing his neighbor struggling while trying to install a television antenna on his roof and was really struggling to get it done by himself. He walked over and offered to help. He had a complete set of nice tools and had everything needed to complete the task. When they finished the job, his neighbor looked at his rather impressive tool kit and asked what he made with such tools. “Friends mostly,” He answered. Friends are some of life’s most valuable assets. When you find godly friends, you have found friends who contribute to your life. Acquaintances in life are many; true friends are few. A friend is a trusted confidante, whose love is not dependent on performance, and whose influence draws others closer to God. Everyone needs a friend who will be loving and honest to restore them with their faults and flaws. It is crucial to cultivate a friendship with one who will encourage them to walk with the Lord and inspire them to flourish throughout life. One of the greatest blessings that God offers us is the gift of His friendship, love and acceptance. John 15:15, Henceforth I call you not servants...but I have called you friends; The Lord Jesus Christ saw our greatest need, and He offered us His friendship. If we are to be Christ like, we should show this same friendship of Christ to others. Ask Christ to help you draw your friends into a closer relationship with Him today.
Points to Ponder:
Questions to Consider:
PRAYER: Father, thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ. You did not forget me nor You did You leave me alone. Thank You for saving me and for being a faithful friend. Thank You for the faithful friends you placed into my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
If this post in any way, has blessed you,
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
Proverbs 27:5-6, Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Give me for a friend a man who will speak honestly of me before my face; who will not tell first one neighbor, and then another, but who will come straight to my house and say: ‘I feel there is wrong in you, my brother, that I must tell you of.’ That man is a true friend. He has proved himself to be so, for we never get any praise for telling people of their faults; we rather hazard their dislike.” Respond to your friends in such a way that they are willing to speak up when you need correction. A true friend cares enough to confront. I’m so grateful that throughout my life I’ve had those who would put their arms around my shoulders and help me when I’ve done wrong.
Many people suffer because they lack a friend who is deep and committed enough to offer correction when it is needed. Often the reason no one speaks to point out a flaw in time for us to correct it without serious damage is found in our response to those who attempt to offer advice or correction. A man or woman who responds with anger or frustration to such an attempt will soon stop receiving them and that is a very dangerous position to be in.
Proverbs 27:5, Open rebuke is better than secret love. This suggests confronting a problem openly. It is far better to do it sooner than to let it fester and grow. Harboring secret love for another is one thing. Harboring unresolved resentment is another. No one likes rebuke. Even when we realize it is needed, it is usually a hard pill to swallow. A godly friend is not afraid to lovingly point out a danger in a friend's life. They will tell you the truth for your own good. When we truly love others, we do not sit silently and watch them as they continue in their destructive behavior.
Proverbs 27:6, Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Criticism from a friend may sting like a wound, but typically a friend’s criticism is for our own good. A true friend will hurt us in order to help us but an enemy will kiss us in order to harm us. We must ask ourselves do we sincerely love our friends enough to rebuke them of their pernicious ways.
1. Be Concerned.
An honest friend, will display their love to their friend by correcting them and keeping them from a foolish or fatal act. The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. This warns us that not all kisses are the [Hi, Great to see you.] greetings of a friend. They may come from an enemy and be deceitful. Unfortunately, the Bible is filled with numerous examples of the deceptive kisses of an enemy. The most famous kiss of an enemy was Judas Iscariot kissing Jesus. Though he claimed to be a friend and kissed Christ, he was a traitor.
Godly friends seek to edify each other and help protect each other from the dangers of this world. If you want to see who your real friends are, just make a mistake and see whether or not they leave you. Two men who were out hunting in the northern U.S. suddenly, one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly bear charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" True friends do not run away when troubles come, but seek to help protect their friends from the danger. A faithful friend will be there to hold you up when you stumble. Love is what we need when we stumble and truth is what we need when we stray.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend. A mark of a faithful friend is that they will be willing to wound us with loving correction. The correction may not feel good but it will be an expression of the love and faithfulness of a friend. The ‘wounds’ are the painful words that must be addressed in a true friendship in order to heal or a broken relationship. Before anyone engages in correcting their wayward friend, they should pray for wisdom. Seeking the Lord to lead them in ministering to them as they speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
2. Be Candid.
This means we should be direct and honest and not deceitful. If we want to build relationships with others, we must be honest. This means telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Anyone who has a “friend” who refuses to tell them when they are doing wrong, or who plans or participates, they are not their friends. The Bible warns that they are your enemies and their kisses are deceitful. If they really love you, they will say to you, “You know what you are doing is wrong. You know it is different from what you have been taught. You know that God cannot bless it.”
We need friends who will come to our aid and lift us up with their life-giving loyalty. Ecclesiastes 4:13 says, “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.” None of us are wise and godly enough not to need friends to help us improve. None of us are able to identify all of our blind spots and see where we may be vulnerable without even realizing it. Corporations pay huge sums of money to people who attempt to break through their security systems & identify weaknesses before they can be exploited. Our friends (true friends) provide such a warning system for us if we have the humility and wisdom to listen to them. The fact that correction comes from a friend does not make it painless. We should view it as a needed wound and appreciate it. If we are true friends, we will tell our friends the truth to help them, even if it might make them annoyed with us. Always compliment in public and correct in private. No marriage, friendship, or other relationship can survive unless it is built on candidness and honesty.
3. Be Confidential.
There are very few people who can be trusted with sensitive, personal information. We all need a friend with whom we can share our hurts, fears, and frustrations. One of the quickest ways to hurt people is to repeat a confidence.
A man noticing his neighbor struggling while trying to install a television antenna on his roof and was really struggling to get it done by himself. He walked over and offered to help. He had a complete set of nice tools and had everything needed to complete the task. When they finished the job, his neighbor looked at his rather impressive tool kit and asked what he made with such tools. “Friends mostly,” He answered. Friends are some of life’s most valuable assets. When you find godly friends, you have found friends who contribute to your life. Acquaintances in life are many; true friends are few. A friend is a trusted confidante, whose love is not dependent on performance, and whose influence draws others closer to God. Everyone needs a friend who will be loving and honest to restore them with their faults and flaws. It is crucial to cultivate a friendship with one who will encourage them to walk with the Lord and inspire them to flourish throughout life. One of the greatest blessings that God offers us is the gift of His friendship, love and acceptance. John 15:15, Henceforth I call you not servants...but I have called you friends; The Lord Jesus Christ saw our greatest need, and He offered us His friendship. If we are to be Christ like, we should show this same friendship of Christ to others. Ask Christ to help you draw your friends into a closer relationship with Him today.
Points to Ponder:
- The world looks at friendships as what they can get out of the relationship.
- Godly friends look at how they can help each other grow spiritually.
Questions to Consider:
- Are you helping your friends grow closer to Christ?
- Are you protecting them from the attacks of the Adversary (Devil)?
PRAYER: Father, thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ. You did not forget me nor You did You leave me alone. Thank You for saving me and for being a faithful friend. Thank You for the faithful friends you placed into my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
If this post in any way, has blessed you,
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com