Proverbs 27:6 (NLT)

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

Has a friend ever said something to you that was really hard to hear…but brought great healing or help into your life? A really close friend of mine once confronted me about my growing arrogance when my public recognition began to take off locally. His brutal honesty shocked me, but God used it to reveal a hard truth I really needed to hear.  If you have never had that experience, then your friends may not be as friendly or caring as you think they are.

Besides being incredibly wise, King Solomon was also incredibly rich and powerful. As a result, he most likely had more than his fair share of “yes men” who tried to curry favor by offering words of praise and adoration every time he made a decision or even an observation.

“What an incredible insight, Your Majesty!”

“Your wisdom is astounding, My Lord!”

“Israel is indeed highly blessed and favored by God with you as our King!”

His father, King David, was in a similar position. Even before ascending to the throne, David was picking up a large crowd of adoring fans. “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” sang the women in the streets as David returned from defeating Goliath (1 Sam. 18:7). Even after his horrific and rather public sin in sleeping with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed, the silence from those around David was deafening…except for one brave and godly man named Nathan. His love for God and deep concern for King David gave him the courage to confront his King in his sin with words of truth.

Do you have any Nathan’s in your life, or do you seem to be surrounded by “yes men” or women? Has someone close to you ever confronted you with a hard truth? If not, perhaps you need to remind your best friends that you need them to be brutally honest with you anytime they see a sin issue in your life. On the other hand, it may be time for you to be someone’s Nathan.