SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE

SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE
September 20, 2017

Prayer: Dear Lord, lead us in responses to sin that will honor You and Your Son. Thank You. Amen.

Scripture: Instead, we will speak the truth in love. We will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the Head. Ephesians 4:15 NIV

I sat dismayed staring at the picture in the newspaper. In this picture a man stood silently holding a protest sign in his hand – a sign battling for something Scripture says is a sin. But that is not what made my heart ache. What brought me to tears was the woman standing inches from his face angrily yelling who knows what, with a Bible clinched under her arm.

I sat and wondered, “When was this Christ’s approach?” I do not recall Jesus taking the woman at the well by the ankles and dunking her head-first until she repented. Did He stand and yell, “Unclean” to the leapers who approached begging for healing? He did not toss all the disciples overboard in the storm because they were afraid. Christ’s approach was compassionate, kind, and gentle.

Yes, this was a defining moment in my life. It really hit me between the eyes that gentleness is an approach, not a retreat. Please notice that I am not saying that we should sit back and say or do nothing. I am saying that our approach should be in line with Christ’s approach to the sinners He encountered in Scripture and to act in a way that is glorifying and not grieving to God.

I totally disagree with what the protester was declaring, but I also oppose the violent response of the “Bible-carrying woman.” Scripture says that we should speak truth in love. There was no love coming out of her mouth. If we are to bring people to Christ, then we need to show them that our lives are different than that of the world’s – that we are different as a result of our relationship with God and the forgiveness we have received.

Those who are lost need to see that we are filled with great joy, hope, and love or they will never believe that Christians are any different from the rest of the world. What does becoming a Christian have to offer them? Why would they want to hang out on Sunday mornings with a bunch of angry, grumpy, judgmental people? We must learn to talk with people and find out why they are acting the way they are, why they think the way they do.

Maybe they have never heard God’s Word; maybe they have never met God. Perhaps they are hurting in ways we had no idea about and they are seeking, love, encouragement, and acceptance from anyone or any group that will give it to them. Gangs and cults prey on outcasts who feel rejected by their family or other groups and are willing to do anything to just belong with a group – no matter what they stand for or how they behave.

It may be that the man with the sign in his hand has been rejected before. How do you think he perceived this woman’s anger? Do you think he felt loved? Do you think he was thinking about attending church on Sunday so he could meet more people like her?

Remember, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict others of their sins, I am sent to speak truth in love, plant seeds of God’s love, live in a way that is Christ-like and that draws others to Him. My prayer for you is that you would speak truth in love.