Kind Warnings

We all want trustworthy friendships. We want to know our friends will be there for us when we really need them. But are we there for them?

After you’ve established a good relationship with others, you can begin to deepen your relationships with a word of truth to those who need to hear it. This doesn’t work if the trust isn’t well established already.

I read an article by a woman who had changed her friend’s life by helping her update her wardrobe. The foundation of trust had already been laid in that friendship, and the woman’s offer of help was accepted.

Through the ages, God has used prophets to warn people to change their ways. Those who believed the prophets were able to make a new start. Those who ignored them dealt with the consequences.

In the Bible, Numbers 22:21-33 tells the story of Balaam’s donkey. It was supposed to go in a certain direction, but it saw danger that his owner couldn’t see. It veered from the expected path to protect Balaam. Then God opened the mouth of the donkey to speak words of warning so Balaam could understand.

If God can use a donkey, He can use me.

I accept the challenge to speak a loving word of warning, but I will only give it to those who will hear it.

My mother was overweight, so I gave her information that would help her. She listened to me and, months later, began giving away clothes to a woman’s shelter. Her loss was their gain.

Kind warnings from trusted friends and family can make you feel more secure in that relationship. I love it when someone cares enough about me to dare to give me the truth I need to hear. That makes me feel protected by someone who can see more than I can.

Today’s goal is: Dare to speak kind words of truth to someone with whom you’ve developed a relationship of trust. If you aren’t sure that anyone would listen to you, dare to strengthen those relationships.

Only from a heart of love can one speak warning so that it will be received and acted upon. Your job isn’t to make sure the gentle warning is received because you can’t control someone else’s response. You can only control what you do and say.