Question, ARE YOU BOLD ENOUGH TO SPEAK THE TRUTH TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO HEAR IT?
Yeah, welcome to this week's article from one of your favorite youth pastors right? I've been struggling with writing this article for some time. Although it can be difficult to practice, Scripture has an encouraging word on how we can speak the truth in love!
PROVERBS 12:17 NLT An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies. Honesty produces the truth. We need to be honest with the people we love, especially if they aren’t living the right way! Now there's a few ways to approach this topic. Many people have no problem with just coming straight out and telling people something without caring for that person.
It's vital if your going to speak truth to someone to do it out of love. If you need the definition of love head over to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Not the world's definition of love but God’s definition.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT [4] Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud [5] or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. [6] It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. [7] Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Let's take another look at a passage of scripture as well.
GALATIANS 6:1-3 NLT [1] Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. [2] Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. [3] If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
We have a calling as believers to help each other when we get off track! We should approach them being both gently and humbly helping the person to come back onto the right track.
Many of us will go to any length to avoid conflict. But there's a huge difference between conflict and reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT[18] And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. [19] For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
How many of you avoid conflict because you don’t want to upset anyone?
Biblical confrontation comes from a place of love and humility - not anger and hostility. We want to win our friends back in love! I would encourage you to read that sentence again and once you have read it again read it one more time. We need to be bold with others to speak the truth when they are overcome by sin and, with love and humility, help that person onto the right path.
True friendship and love for others is willing to speak the truth when it is needed. Be bold and gentle, but speak the truth with others!
SHARE THE TRUTH WITH OTHERS.
EPHESIANS 4:14-15 NLT [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. [15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
If we want to grow to be like Jesus, it is a necessity that we speak the truth in love.
The fruit of this correction in truth is seen in verse 14: it will grow us into mature believers who live righteous lives, not tossed around by the world or our sin!
Maybe there’s someone in your life who isn’t living for Jesus but claims to follow God. Be a true friend and speak the truth in love to them. Call them back to right living with Jesus!
Maybe you are the friend who is living in sin. Maybe people have reached out to you with the truth, and you haven’t been open or accepting. Resist the urge to be offended. If your friends are reaching out to you about this, it’s because they truly care about you! Receive the truth so you can live righteously in a relationship with Jesus!
REMEMBER, SHARE THE TRUTH IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE.
If the Lord has put someone on your heart who needs the truth spoken to them in love and gentleness, pray about how you can approach them this week. If someone comes to you, pray to receive it in love as from the Lord!
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything or someone to talk to. 901-515-6450. God never called us to walk through life alone. The best is yet to come in your life.
Josh House
