The value of true friendship lies in truthful counsel and acknowledgement of a friend's virtue and worth. A real friend will tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear. True friends take risk by telling the truth. A genuine friend is the person who loves you enough to talk tough, so you can have the right perspective. True friendship is the place where we find real meaning and purpose. It is the place we experience a building up through honest engagement. A faithful friend says not simply kind words, but the right words at the right time. A true friendship will put an edge on your life. False friends dull your life, blunt your influence, and drag you down. A true friend cares enough to confront, rather than engage in flattery or hypocritical kisses.
Proverbs 27:5-6,17; 17:17; Ephesians 4:15; Exodus 18:1-27; Galatians 2:11-14; 4:16; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.