Wounds That Heal

“Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it… because your sorrow led you to repentance.” —2 Corinthians 7:8-9
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” —Proverbs 27:6
There are moments when love requires us to speak hard truths. Like a surgeon’s scalpel, truth can sting—but it also has the power to heal. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians caused temporary pain, but it led to something far greater: repentance and restoration.
Most of us know the discomfort of surgery, a cavity filled, or a root canal. The process hurts, but it removes what is unhealthy and allows healing to begin. The same is true when we speak truth in love. Done with care and compassion, it may cause discomfort, but God can use it to bring growth and life.
Yet, this kind of truth-telling requires humility, self-examination, and prayer. Before we speak, we must search our own hearts. Are we motivated by love or self-righteousness? The truth, when offered carelessly, can wound without healing. But the truth, wrapped in grace and spoken with love, reflects the heart of Christ—faithful to heal and restore.
In contrast, flattery and deception from an enemy may feel good in the moment, offering temporary comfort or satisfying a surface need. Yet these “deceitful kisses” never address our deeper needs or bring the lasting restoration and healing our souls truly require.
Let’s commit to being friends whose words build up, even when they’re hard to say. Let our motivation always be love, and let God use the “faithful wounds” of truth wrapped in grace to bring healing.