There seems to be a tension when it comes to 'saying hard things' in the Christian life. We all know that there are times where our friends need to hear the difficult words, but I think we often misinterpret what verses like this actually mean.
Like many other issues, there seems to be two extremes one can take hard words. The first is the person who won't say anything that might be difficult for the person to hear. A lot of the time we are tempted to soften the blow of reality for someone. However, telling someone it's not too bad or that it won't get worse is not going to soften the blow. If anything, it's going to keep them from preparing for the realities of life, making things more difficult. This is why the Bible tells us we need to carry a cross, or that we'll be persecuted for our faith. No one wants to hear that, but everyone needs to.
The other extreme is the person who joyfully and all too willingly takes up their task of saying hard things. I've found myself in this camp all too often. The fundamental problem with this approach is that saying difficult things to someone we love should be difficult. Even the attitude that it's easy to do communicates that we don't truly care for their well-being. The way in which we speak difficult truths really matters. It's the difference between speaking hard words and harsh words; the difference between love and carelessness.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
Profuse are the kisses of an enemy" --Proverbs 27:6
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