A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3
Beware of wanting to hear only what makes you feel good. God’s Word convicts, it rebukes, it calls you on your darkness. But it’s easy to want teachers and preachers to say only things that inspire you and to talk only about God’s kindness and forgiveness. Although these things are good, a steady diet of them will leave you spiritually sick. Your soul needs to be shaped to be fit, not flabby, and that means doing the hard work of looking in the mirror and seeing where your soul needs some truth, correction, and direction.
When the truth is applied to your dark parts, it hurts. The lights go on and the brightness can hurt your eyes, but that’s no reason to flip the switch back off. It’s a spiritual illness to want only good news from God and not conviction of sin. When you are being taught, don’t turn away from harsh news but embrace it. Though for a while you may feel pain, freedom is the ultimate result. Those who fear the initial sting of truth don’t grow and never overcome the sin that controls them. But those who courageously accept what God’s Word says about the sin in their lives grow more and more into the likeness of Christ every day.
A true friend doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear; she tells you the truth. Have too much of just what makes you feel good and you will grow spiritually lazy. But you can never get too much of the truth. When you meet someone who is willing to tell you the hard truth, you have found a friend. Embrace those who love God more than they love you and who aren’t afraid to hurt you with the truth in order to help you.