PROVERBS 27:5–10
A man complained about his lower back pain to a friend. He was looking for a listening ear, but instead he received a candid evaluation. “I do not think your back pain is your problem; it is your stomach,” his friend said to him. “Your big stomach is pulling your back.”
That man, who resisted being offended, lost weight and resolved his back problem, recognising that open rebuke is better than hidden love and that wounds from a friend can be trusted.
We often prefer praise over criticism, as the truth hurts our egos, makes us uncomfortable, and calls for change.
True friends are those who love us so much that they are willing to tell us the truth, pointing out what we already know but struggle to accept and live by. They tell us not only what we like to hear but also what we need to hear.
In his proverbs, Solomon valued this kind of friendship. Jesus went above and beyond by enduring the pain of our rejection in order to demonstrate to us how much we are loved as well as to reveal the truth about who we are.
🙏 Lord Jesus, give us friends who can tell us the truth in love.
📷: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona
