Advice

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

I was tempted to copy what I have already used in the past for this verse. To teach about Kiss. However, when I read it this time, something new jumped out to me. Isn't that cool how the Bible is truly the Living word of God. We get so much out of it each time we read it.

How many of us would rather be kissed by an enemy than be wounded by a friend?

Sometimes it is necessary for us to hear things that are not pleasing from our friends. Sometimes we need someone to call us out and most of the time it is a close friend who is happy to do so. It hurts and sometimes angers us, but most of the time, it is something that we needed to hear. When enemies want to see us suffer and be destroyed, they tend to tell us just what we want to hear. It sounds good at the time and before we know it, we are walking down a road that is much wider and heading toward ruin.

Are you open to hearing what your closest friends might want to say to you? Would you be willing to hear it, even if it is not pleasurable? Have you ever kept quiet instead of sharing something that needed to be shared with a friend. Why? Fear is probably the best answer to that question. Fear is one of the most powerful debilitating conditions. It hinders us from doing what we know is the right thing, it fills our minds and our thoughts with lies that lead us away from what should be done.

Remember when Jesus was betrayed by Judas? That betrayal was with a kiss. Judas did not believe Jesus was who he was until after he betrayed him. He tried to go back on his actions, but it was too late. It was so easy for Judas to betray him, he wasn't afraid. When we love someone and believe in them and know that they have more potential that what they are displaying, we tend to be afraid to call them out. Judas had felt betrayed, had been expecting a big reward to be walking along side Jesus, who was supposed to become his King. When he realized that Jesus was not about material or political advancement, he was more about the spiritual realm, Judas began looking for a way to betray Jesus so that the officials would arrest him. He didn't see the potential in Jesus, he was too concerned about his own status. Next time someone gives you advice, make sure that it is from a reliable source, even if it is not pleasing. Don't be too quick to turn it down.

What about you?

Dear Lord, Help us to see the whole picture. Help us to move out of fear when we know we need to call out our friends. Help us to stay on the right path, focusing on you. I ask that you help us to see when others are in it for themselves and protect us from being betrayed. Lord, also help us not to return evil for evil. If one person betrays us, help us to stand firm, walk straight in the path of righteousness and to continue to pray for those who want to destroy us. Lord, I ask that we be a light in this world, that we never focus so much on our own goals that it clouds our focus on you, that we will not stomp on and betray others in the process.

Please continue to pray for Anna B. this week.