Kisses

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Proverbs 27:6 ESV

This might seem a contradictory proverb to reality at first glance. Surely enemies wound, and friends kiss! But it's not necessarily so binary. 

Imagine you're acting foolishly. If you do, your enemy will probably give you the "kiss" of their approval. A friend however, wouldn't be afraid to "wound" your feelings by telling you to sort yourself out.

For example, I remember years ago, when I was medication that sedated me and made me sluggish. My brother was a true friend to me by compelling me to get up and go out for a walk. An enemy would have just "kissed" me and let me waste my life. 

You don't want a flatterer for a friend, someone who's friendly to your face but stabs you in the back. You want someone forthright for a friend, who isn't afraid to tell it like it is and rebuke you if necessary. True friends are loving enough to be honest with us, even when it hurts. 

"Father God, thank You for loving us with the truth, even when it's hard. Please help us to be wary of fake friends, but we're grateful that Your Son is a friend of sinners like us, in His name we pray, amen"