The Wounds of a Friend

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy" (Prov. 27:6, ESV).

The wounds discussed here are the wounds that come from correction. Friends address one another with a frankness unparalleled in our society. Close friends often don't pull punches; they speak their minds with forthrightness. If they don't like something, they might just tell you-in detail. If you put on weight, they won't hesitate to let you know. The goal of their frankness is not to cause injury to their friend, but the prevention of injury.

However, those who fail to correct and challenge those around them who err, are not friends. This passage tells us they are enemies. An enemy multiplies kisses, that is, they tell you what you want to hear. Their kisses allow sin, ours and theirs, to go unaddressed, unconfessed, and unrepented of.

We need to surround ourselves with friends who will love us enough to speak the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, but when so wounded, we know our friends are acting faithfully. When we find those friends, we need to keep them close and thank the Lord for them.