What? Why are some Scriptures so confusing, almost as if God is riddling us?
“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:6)
Who wants wounds from a friend? Who wants kisses from an enemy? Isn’t that our first response? We don’t like this verse or don’t want to take the time to consider its implications, so we skim over it (and many others).
I can’t explain it completely, but I’ll briefly point out the “kisses from an enemy” aren’t necessarily the people we know are enemies at the time. Even they might not know how far they are from us (and perhaps God) and what betrayal and deception is flowing from deep within. And the wounds from sincere friends? The friends who know us well enough and are loving enough to speak truth into our lives and invite accountability are going to cause some wounds, but they will also stick around as we grow because of the healing process of those wounds.
That might be enough encouragement for you today, but my intention is to challenge you even further. Instead of addressing one verse, I want to invite you into a dialogue across all verses. As you’re reading Scripture, or something pops up in your social media feeds, and you pause to scratch your head as to what God is trying to say, let’s talk about it. If you contact me (email address listed below), I’ll take a look and be honest as we struggle together. When appropriate, I’ll share some thoughts in a post in order to invite others to consider the truth of the verse. That’s how we grow. Let’s humbly persevere.
Let’s let Scripture simmer within us. Let’s let God challenge us through it.
Pure Purpose 