The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)
The book of Proverbs contains many principles for building great friendships. Yesterday we covered two keys—check your motives and speak genuine words of encouragement. Here are two more friendship principles from Proverbs:
1. Give sound advice (heartfelt counsel). It’s great to be a cheerleader, but don’t forget that your friends need honesty as well. When they share their problems and conflicts, keep in mind that you are only hearing part of the story. Don’t just jump on their bandwagon—usually there is an element of exaggeration to the story.
It can be difficult to say things that you know will sting, but sometimes they need to be said. Most will accept sound advice if they can see that you honestly have their best interests in mind.
Honesty with love makes the friendship grow closer.
2. Let others speak into your life too. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) says As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. To develop a close relationship, you need to hand someone the right to speak into your life. Let true friends be honest with you, giving you a healthy push when you need it. They only want to help you to become more successful.
In a close friendship, we have an obligation to speak into each other’s lives. Develop the kind of friendships where you don’t tell each other only what you want to hear, but what you need to hear.