Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5

I will be the first to admit I don’t like to be rebuked. I supposed none of us really do. The first thing I do is take offense and then I get upset and deny the truth of the words spoken. Many times I get that “conviction” when I read the word of God and know that the Lord is chastising me, He is rebuking me for something that I have done or failed to do which is apparent only to Him and me. It sure hurts at the time though, but looking back at the words spoken by a friend or out of God’s Word, I know they are for my benefit. A loving Friend would speak the hard words to me, and a Loving Father would lead that friend to speak them, or would speak them Himself in the Word. I would rather have my Father train me up, then just love me from afar. I think the next time a friend or spouse rebukes me, I will consider it spoken out of love, and that love is not a secret.