Wednesday, October 11, 2017

#WednesdayWisdom: Saying No to "Yes" Men

Hey everyone, hope you're having a blessed week and making it over the hump. Today's nugget of #WednesdayWisdom is a word on friendship: how to say no to "yes" men.

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." - Proverbs 27:5-6 (NIV)

I don't know about y'all, but I need some more positive, encouraging friends in my life. I've always had a small but strong circle (if you're reading this, you know who you are), but in this season of my life, I find myself desiring friendships that, above all else, push me closer to Christ. As an optimist, I naturally gravitate toward positive people, but as I'm growing in my Christian walk, I'm looking for "lifters": Those who lift His name on high and who can effectively lift me up in prayer. Good friends should edify one another, hold each other accountable, and offer constructive criticism. I've always prided myself on being the blunt friend. I try to always tell my friends the truth, even if it hurts, because it'll help them in the long run. Be careful here, though. Tell your friends what they need to hear, not what they want to hear; but when you correct them, correct them with love. Constructive criticism can be tricky. It's not just what you say, but how you say it. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Don't correct so harshly that your relationships with others become negative, but be honest with people. I'd rather have a friend tell me I'm doing something wrong than to "protect" my feelings by not correcting me & letting me mess up. Don't surround yourself with "yes" men who sugarcoat stuff. If they don't tell you when you're making poor choices, they're not true friends. Those "no" friends who say 'No, that's not a good choice, situation, person, etc.' even when you don't want to hear it, those are the ones who care. Find those friends and keep them close. Lift and be lifted. Iron sharpens iron. #WednesdayWisdom

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