Kisses from an Enemy
The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in. -Proverbs 27:6 MSG
These words from Solomon, "wounds from a lover", stranglely remind me of those words uttered by Colonel Jessup in the movie "A Few Good Men" - on the witness stand he shouted: "You can't handle the truth!" Sometimes it is so hard to handle criticism even from close friends. Often it is so hard for those closest to us to say things that "wound" us. Yet it is so necessary to have people who will tell us the truth even when we do not want to hear it.
Solomon contrasts this with a terse commntary about how people who are not our friends will use vehicles like flattery and schmoozing to influence us. It reminds me of the many times that I have listened to people who really did not love me and or care about how their advice would affect me. Thinking about that makes me wonder why so many of us allow people with titles to influence our lives. Years of experience has taught me to measure such influence proportionately.
Help us Lord to hear the words of those who love us and reject the influence of those who do not.
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Bob, it's so easy to listen to the wrong words....the ones that sound so nice, but may not be true. I add you prayer to mine this morning. I want to hear the truth, even when it's hard.
ReplyDeleteSo true Wanda! I want to hear it too - I think. :)
DeleteBlessings, Bob