Relationships are saved by doing this

Hi everyone,  Some of the wounds we cause others can be good, such as the pain we cause by confronting people when they are wrong. We do well to be honest with others when we see them making destructive choices. If they are making decisions that are hurting their family, they need us to tell them. If they are blind to a character flaw that will cause them to lose a job, they need us to lovingly point the flaw out to them. It would be unloving to remain silent and watch them fail.  As iron sharpens iron, we need confrontation and truth from others to grow. No one enjoys hearing negative things about themselves. But in the long run, it may be good. While it can hurt, admonition from a friend can be helpful. So it is our responsibility to be open to and respond to feedback from others, especially those who have our best interests at heart. It is a gift and often those who do not really care about us are the very ones who tell us how wonderful we are. Sometimes our critics are the ones who truly care. So we need both the courage to speak into others’ lives and to hear it as love when others do that for us.  Let’s talk more about how to have a difficult conversation with someone.  Until next time …  Cheers,  Henry