The most stinging rebukes I have ever received have come from the kindest, nicest people I know. Even when they were wrong, the rebuke pierced my heart and mad

The most stinging rebukes I have ever received have come from the kindest, nicest people I know. Even when they were wrong, the rebuke pierced my heart and made me want to make sure that I would never do anything to actually deserve such a reproving in the future. In the particular situation I am thinking of, the person was so gentle in the way they reproved me that I didn't even bother with correcting them, though I knew that it was a misunderstanding, I also knew they would not hold it against me. Sometimes sharp reproof is necessary, but when you use it, you should always show the target love afterwards. If you fail to do so, your reproof is likely to be ineffective, and may be counter productive.