Saying Hard Things

I received a phone call today that may strike some as odd. This person praised her friend for making her mad. "She told me I was wrong, and I got mad. But then, I started reading my Bible and after thinking about what she had to say, I gained a whole new perspective on what the Bible was saying to me."

Imagine that, God shapes us through our relationships (Proverbs 27:17). Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." Friends must exist to do more than heap praise upon one another. One of the most difficult aspects of friendship is being confrontational or point out a sin in our brother, but it must be done.

Luke 6:42 tells us to examine the faults in our own lives before we turn our attention to our brothers and sisters, but it does not tell us to overlook the faults in our friends. Instead, let us always approach one another with love and humility. Who knows, maybe one day one of your friends will say, "I got mad at you, but then I gained a whole new perspective on what the Bible was saying to me."