READ: PROVERBS 15:32; 27:17; EPHESIANS 4:1-6, 15-16

Imagine a confrontation between two guy friends from the perspective of the one being confronted.

Josh comes up to me and says the dreaded words, “We need to talk.” My stomach turns sour. He tells me I’ve been letting bitterness get in the way of our friendship—and my faith.

Guilt starts to seep in. He has a point. At first, I was just angry because he started dating a girl I liked—even though I told him I was fine with them dating. But after a while, my anger became resentment. I hated seeing them as a couple, so I cut them out.

The problem is, Josh was the friend who took me to church on Sundays. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve prayed too. Josh’s words are so gentle. He doesn’t seem angry. In fact, it still seems like he cares a lot about me. When he’s done talking, I take a deep breath and say, “I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

It’s difficult to admit we’ve been wrong, especially when someone confronts us with the truth. The important thing to realize is that confrontation is often done from a place of love. True friends care about us and our spiritual wellbeing. When we’re tempted to get defensive about our sin, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to restore a posture of humility and repentance in us.

Even if a friend doesn’t approach the topic as well as they should, we can remind ourselves that their intentions are probably good—and that we’re all broken people who need Jesus. When we remember that Jesus has made the way for us to be unified through His death and resurrection, we can have true peace—even during hard conversations (Philippians 4:1-9). • Naomi Zylstra

• How would you want to react if a friend confronted you about a sin they noticed in your life?

• Whenever we realize we’re struggling with a particular sin, Jesus wants us to come to Him. He is eager to remind us that He has already secured our forgiveness on the cross, and that He loves us with an unchanging love. And, through the Holy Spirit, He helps us repent of sin and grow in righteousness. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about any sins that come to mind. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9–2:1)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)