"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." – Proverbs 27:6
Many of us don't like receiving an honest feedback. Although it might hurt, an honest feedback given for the purpose of helping us see our faults and mistakes helps us grow and become better persons. Best of all, it helps us see how much we need God's help in our daily lives.
Feedback Helps Us See Ourselves
Some of us would want to avoid a person who is straightforward when giving us some honest-to-goodness feedback. Usually, their comments sting, but they may point out important things that we need to work on.
As an example, let me share how an honest feedback helped me. My wife usually asks me about my opinion regarding various things. Recently she asked me about what kind of footwear I like, and I was surprised at how much I needed to hear what she will say.
We were walking in the shoes section of the department store when I saw this very bright and flashy pair of sneakers. Seeing it as "cute," I proceeded to try it on and looked at myself in the mirror. I thought the shoes looked good, so I thought it would be nice to wear. I was wrong.
My wife took a photo of me wearing the shoes then showed it to me. She zoomed in on my foot and boy did I see how ridiculous I would've looked. I can't stop laughing after seeing the photo.
Without my wife's honest feedback, I wouldn't have realised that my footwear tastes didn't suit me.
Suffice it to say that I'm grateful for my wife's honesty because it brings out the best in me.
Feedback Will Spare us from Troubles
Friends, feedback need not be a bad thing. It might be painful, but if handled correctly it will produce a wonderful change in us. We will become wiser, see things in a new perspective, and gain insight that might save us from unnecessary or avoidable trouble.
Proverbs 11:14 tells us, "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."
The Best Source of Feedback
If we're looking for the best feedback that will help us live our lives to the full, there's no better source than God Himself. He sees us, knows everything about us, loves us, and is committed to making us like Christ (see Romans 8). Let's commit to searching His Word to see what He says about us.
The Word of God "is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires" (Hebrews 4:12).
Before we could ever take a step and make a choice, God already knows what we plan to do and with His Word just shows us who we really are and what we are up to. He gives us more than just feedback – He leads us to the right path, too.
