This ties right into our last post about gossip. I mentioned within and at the end that if you have a problem with a friend, go to them and talk it out. Don’t bring in others or post to social media about it.
When we have a problem with a friend or someone we love, it can cause problems with the relationship. Especially if it goes unresolved. But the only way it can be resolved is by talking it out with that person.
Guys, this is hard to do. We don’t want confrontation and conflict in our lives. We want to be happy and have the best relationships there could be, right? Sure, we do. But life can’t happen without conflict and confrontation.
We will all have arguments with friends. This can have many different appearances: we disagree with something they said, we’re worried about something they’re doing, we’re worried what they’re not saying, we’re hurt because of something they did or didn’t do/say, etc. There are so many reasons for conflict between two people. But things only get worse if we bury the problem or talk to someone else about it.
To keep friends and strengthen friendships, we must reprove one another in love. This can sometimes be called “tough love,” and it is. It’s tough for one person to hear, and it’s tough for the other to say. We don’t want to hurt our friends; we want them to be happy and have fun. But the fun can’t truly happen without the conflicts and confrontations that go into having a solid relationship.
Whenever we have a problem with a friend, we need to talk to them about it. If we don’t, it will either fester inside of us, causing a division between friends, or it will be let out some other way, spreading into gossip and/or rumor, thus destroying a friendship.
Guys, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Relationships are hard. But they’re hard because they’re worth it. To have a solid relationship with someone is something that everyone wants–someone to go to, someone we know will be there when we need them. But in order to gain the trust, you have to go through the hard stuff together.
Relationships are in the world so that we can strengthen one another. We’re supposed to reprove one another, point out one another’s faults. But we’re meant to do this in love, not animosity. Not for power, satisfaction, or to cut someone else down: In LOVE. We point out one another’s faults to make each other better. We hold each other to our own values.
When we love someone, we don’t sit by and watch them suffer. We sit them down and tell them what we see, what we think the problem is. They may be mad at us for “butting in,” but we can help them just by doing that. Give them some time to think it over. They’ll eventually come back and say that you were right. Although sometimes, they’ll be too stubborn to admit it.
Yes, reproving one another in love can lead to lost friendships. I’ve been there before. But if we don’t do it, we’ll never feel we can trust one another, and there will be a divide that we feel growing larger every day. We have relationships to help one another through life. If we don’t reprove one another in love, we’re not fulfilling that role.
But the only way to reprove one another in love is to always, ALWAYS go to the person it centers around first. If they won’t listen, maybe others see it too. If a friend won’t change their ways, that’s when you get a couple more to help you talk to them. After that, there’s not much more any of you can do to help them.
The hardest part about reproving one another in love is that the person you’re reproving has to want to listen. They have to want to change what you’ve pointed out. You can’t force that on them, and neither can anyone else. Yes, you may lose a friend. But you may also form a stronger trust in that relationship because you were honest and they were willing to listen, talk it out, and change if need be.
Don’t put others down. Reprove them in love. Strengthen them. And let them strengthen you.
Voice Pianissimo 
What are your thoughts?