Spinach in the Teeth

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:6

Have you ever had spinach (or some other unsightly food) in your teeth and no one told you about it? Or perhaps your skirt was not quite pulled down or your dress not zipped up all the way. Those are the times you wish that someone had told you instead of letting you walk around all day looking like that. A good friend will tell you the truth about yourself, even if it might be a little awkward in the delivery. They care enough about you to go there, and they can be confident that you will do the same for them as well.

Sometimes the “spinach in the teeth” isn’t something that is physically misplaced about you. It may be that you talk too much—on the verge of being a gossip. Or perhaps you are driving people away because you’ve become overly sensitive. Whatever the reason, a trusted friend will tell you the truth about yourself.

What we must embrace is that the “wounds of a friend can be trusted.” Those who don’t love us won’t tell us the truth about ourselves. They are content to let us walk around with all of our weaknesses and faults on display for everyone to see. By doing so, they can feel superior to us.

However, a friend speaks the truth in love without holding back. They take into account that they also have weaknesses and want us to help them out as well. These conversations aren’t easy but necessary for friendships to grow deeper and more meaningful. There is a great connection and bond between friends who feel the freedom to share the truth with each other.