HONESTY
He who gives a right answer kisses
the lips. Proverbs 24:26
One
of the keys to connecting with people is this: Be candid about problems in the
relationship. Being candid and being connected go together. You don't have one
without the other. Genuine, healthy, deep, meaningful relationships are built
on honesty, not on flattery. An honest answer is the sign of a true friendship.
Flattery is a sign of a manipulator, not a sign of somebody who is genuinely
your friend.
All
of us have blind spots. The question that really matters is: do you have
anybody in your life who loves you enough to point them out? You cannot grow
unless somebody points out the things that you can't see in your life, but that
need changing. Let me give you three rules for being candid in relationships:
1.
Compliment in public, correct in private. Do this with your children, your
spouse, your employees, and your friends.
2.
Correct when they're up and not down. When I'm feeling good, I can handle
almost any correction. When I'm feeling tired, I can't handle anything. Timing
is everything when you're being candid.
3.
Never offer correction until you've proven willing to be corrected. Remember:
seek to understand before seeking to be understood. You open up your life
before you expect someone else to be open with you. Connecting means we care
enough to be candid. Who do you need to get honest with? Is there an issue you
need to be candid about?
Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you wisdom to
be honest and candid in all your relationship.
Scriptural Reading: Proverbs 24:23-29
