''Giving an honest answer Is like
giving a kiss.'' Mishlei
(Proverbs) 24:26
The ''secret'' to any healthy relationship is
wrapped up in this tiny, little proverb. The wisdom
of this truth is so simple, yet difficult for us to
sometimes grasp. Because our tendency as
individuals is to be self-seeking
first, we view relationships from a skewed perspective,
but as The Wise shows us, happy relations are grown out of the giving,
rather than the getting.
On the first level, because one is giving an answer at
all presupposes the
obvious: one has been first asked a question.
We love to give our ''honest
answers'' at our own discretion, sometimes whether
they are asked for or
not. It takes a deliberate sensitivity to see the
needs of others with whom we are in relationship to see
if it is really our ''honest answer'' they need
or simply a listening ear.
On another level, there is the issue of giving,
itself. How do we measure
the value of what is being given? The Wise shows us
the answer: ''Giving
an honest answer is like giving a kiss.'' The
value of what is being given
is determined by how it is received. Is an
''honest answer'' (given out of
insensitivity) like giving a kiss or a smack in the
face? How about a dishonest answer? Sometimes
we don't tell the whole truth to ''protect''
another's feelings, or even to just protect
ourselves--the truth of our answer is hidden. Is
such an answer likened to a kiss, or perhaps spitting in
someone's soup?
Again, The Wise One's observation is correct: an
honest answer is like a
kiss--a sweet, kind, loving kiss... an answer that comes
out of genuine
love and affection. It is not harsh; it is
gentle. It is not sour, but
sweet. The key to a healthy, happy relationship is
to offer answers
sensitively and appropriately, and to do so with
tenderness and love--like
giving a kiss.
P R A Y E R
Father, help me to be more gentle and kind in my
relationships. Let the
words from my mouth be caring and full of love--never
harsh or laced with
lies. Change me, Lord, as I apply this practice to
others, let it be a
change in me. Thank you, Father, for your gentle
teaching--that every word
from your lips is like a sweet kiss that you have
sensitively given to
me. Teach me to model your relationship with me in
my relationships with
others. I worship you, ADONAI, for you are my
''honest answer''....
