Proverbs 25:17 Don't visit your neighbors too often; they may get tired of you and come to hate you.
Proverbs 25:20 As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, Or vinegar on soda, So is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
I'm always amazed at the little details God pays attention to and gives us advice on. He could have just left the little things for us to figure out through trial and error, but He loves us so much that He gave us a book with answers to get us through all areas of our life.
The first text is to show us how to keep our friends by not causing them to get tired of us. I believe this also applies to phone calls. Not only is the frequency important, but so is the length of the visit. Visiting a friend at their house or on the phone for too long can become tiresome and it also keeps the friends from doing other things they need to do.
We recently experienced this problem with an adorable 5 year old neighbor girl. She is in preschool this year. As soon as the bus dropped her off at home, she'd come running over and repeatedly push the doorbell. If I was busy and ignored it, she'd open the door and walk in. After talking to her about only ringing the doorbell once, and then locking my door, she decided to come over every few minutes and ring the bell once or twice. If I told her I was busy or wasn't feeling well, she would come back every few minutes and ask if I was done or feeling better now. Her parents saw what she was doing and told her not to bother me, but she'd slip away and come see me anyway. I appreciate the fact that she loves me and enjoys my company so much. She really is a sweet little thing, but I couldn't get any rest or much work done. Normally I enjoy having her visit, but I was beginning to dread it when I'd see her head this way. Kevin finally installed a switch on the doorbell so I could turn it off if I needed to. It works well for solicitors too!
The second text is talking about being sensitive to a person who is hurting. By trying to make light of a hurtful situation, it comes across as not caring about the pain the person is feeling. When a person is hurting, they are needing quiet, gentle compassion from the one ministering to them. The only time to start joking, laughing, or making light of the situation is when the suffering person comes to the place where they are able to find humor or light in things. It's best to take our cue from the one who is hurting. And always pray before trying to minister to another. God knows just what is needed in every situation.