Being Punched in the FACE by your Best Friend

When I was little, I remember walking into the kitchen to find my father running cold water over his hand.  During his nightly "walk-through" (this is when dad would check every door, every lock, every window, all the burners on the stove, the oven and every light in the house)  he had discovered that one of the stove burners had been left on. 

This is why he was running the cold water on his hand.
And this is why he had told me to avoid touching the burner.

You guesssed it, I open-palmed the burner as soon as the "er" had left his mouth.
That night, both of us were shoulder to shoulder, sharing the cold water.

The above story reminds me of something that the wise author of Proverbs communicated centuries ago.

"Better is an open rebuke, than love that is concealed. 

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."

(Proverbs 27: 5-6)

The basic point is something we all need to grasp:  Withholding the truth is not the loving thing to do.  By today's standards, the author of Proverbs would be shunned.  The reason is because our society is so thin skinned and politically correct, that we all walk around afraid to open our mouths -even when our words can help someone.  And I get it, telling the truth can be tough.  Many times, we battle wanting to be liked rather than wanting to share the gravity of the situation with a person.  So you will have to ask yourself if being liked is more important to you than being an honorable person.

Check out the the Proverb again.

Notice the word, "wound?"  That word can also be translated as, "bruise."

The irony is thick in the verse, as the person delivering the wounds is considered a friend.  Yes, the friend is the one that just balled up his fist and hit you upside your hard head.

-Did you know that your best friends will be the ones that tell  you the most truth?

If you are honest, I bet you can think back to a time when someone that loved you had the courage to be honest with you. 

Henry David Thoreau has been quoted as saying, "Between whom there is hearty truth, there is love" and the humorous Oscar Wilde once said, "A good friend will always stab you in the front."

How true.

The challenge of this Proverb is to love the people God has placed in your life enough to speak the truth to them.  Many are walking around with their hand hovering over red-hot decisions that will burn them if they just move a few more inches. 
Maybe you should help?
Ask yourself: Has God placed you in a person's life to help them avoid being scarred by a bad decision?