PROVERBS‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬ ‭AMP

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].”

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GOLD NUGGETS

After dealing with the first two steps of how we can develop friendships yesterday, let’s now proceed to deal with the next three steps.

3.⁠ ⁠Be prepared to be hurt. No relationship is devoid of hurts. Don’t expect a perfect friendships or relationships. Friendships demand that you leave your comfort zone and confront an unknown wilderness. There will be times when your words or actions are misunderstood, but stay with it when this happens. This is what friendship is all about – sticking closer than a brother.

4.⁠ ⁠Love your friend very much to correct him/her about something you deemed wrong. Ask yourself if you are prepared to lose friendship in the interests of truth? If not, then you haven’t got a true friend. Where you see wrong, confront and correct it, but do so in a gentle, loving, respectful and a firm manner. That’s what friends are for – to help us see what we might otherwise be missing.

5.⁠ ⁠Allow your friend to have other friends. Don’t suffocate your friend by demanding that he/she maintains just you as a friend. That attitude is often responsible for the death of many friendships. Give your friend the laxity to step into other relationships and make new friends By dominating friendship, you will destroy it. May we not become bulldozers that demolish friendship but builders that build and strengthen friendship. SHALOM: God’s all encompassing blessings to you