Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

(Proverbs 27:5–6)

In the middle of the night, a police officer pulled over an elderly man driving erratically. When asked where he was going at 2 a.m., the man answered, “I’m on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late.”

The officer asked, “Really? Who’s giving that lecture at this hour?”

The man replied, “That would be my wife.”

We all need a voice in our lives that keeps us accountable — even if that voice comes at 2 a.m.  That elderly gentleman knew exactly where correction awaited him: not in a courtroom, but at home, in the form of a lecture from his wife.

It’s true — there are times when the most honest, eye-opening words come from someone close to us who cares enough to tell it like it is.  Sometimes, it’s not the sermons or Bible class lessons that make us pause and reflect.  It’s the everyday voices — a spouse’s concern or a friend’s admonition.

Proverbs 27 reminds us that a rebuke can be a blessing, even when it hurts. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” A loving rebuke may sting in the moment, but it’s an expression of deep concern.  True friends — and faithful spouses — are willing to say the hard thing, not to wound us, but to help us.

So, whether it’s your spouse reminding you to take better care of your health or a friend confronting one of your bad habits, take those moments seriously.  We all need people in our lives who love us enough to speak the truth, especially when we’re headed off course.  Instead of resisting those moments, we need embrace them as an expression of God’s grace, lovingly calling us to live better, wiser, and more faithfully.

Because sometimes the most powerful preacher in your life isn’t behind a pulpit — it’s waiting for you at the front door in slippers and a robe.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the people you’ve placed in my life to help guide me, those who speak truth to me, even when it’s uncomfortable. Give me the humility needed to receive correction and to grow from it.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day