From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
Are you good at receiving honest correction from a caring friend?
If we were honest, most of us would admit that we don’t like others pointing out our faults.
However, sometimes we stand to gain the most if a trusted individual gives advice or constructive criticism rather than false flattery.
Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
When Jesus was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His death, it was a kiss, not a punch, which sealed the treachery.
Nobody matures in life through excessive compliments and always being told you’re ok.
We need to be corrected.
When I was in seminary I had to preach a sermon in front of my peers as part of a course I was taking.
They ripped it to shreds, but because I knew they were pointing out mistakes in my delivery, and meant that for my good, I learned from it.
It was kind of like Buckley’s cough syrup: it tasted awful but it worked.
What about you?
Can you handle the heat of constructive criticism when it comes from a trusted friend?
Or, do you need to be stroked and coddled all the time?
Beware of the flatterer who gushes over you excessively.
You may be drinking Kool Aid with poison in it.
Instead, ask God to help you acquire a taste for true correction and then walk in the wisdom you gain from it.
