Speak The Truth In Love
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-15)
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about every topic under the sun these days. In the midst of our cultural climate, it’s important that we ask this question: What is my responsibility as a follower of Jesus when it comes to what I should say and how I should say it?
It can be difficult to know when to speak up and when to stay silent. Scripture has a lot to say about standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, but it also talks a lot about having wisdom and discernment with your tongue, making sure to be quick to listen and slow to speak. It’s a tricky, and sometimes scary, line to walk trying to figure out how we can best use our words as believers. However, I believe Paul’s words to the Ephesians serve as a great reminder we can all keep at the forefront of our minds when it comes to how we can honor the Lord and serve others with our words.
In a nutshell, Paul is basically saying that a sign of a mature follower of Christ is the ability to speak the truth in love. Many people can speak the truth, but not do so in a loving way. And many people can speak in a loving way while neglecting to share the truth. But it takes someone with true spiritual maturity to speak the truth in love, so as to point others to Jesus while loving them the way the Lord commands us to.
So, let me ask you this question: Do you speak the truth in love? Or do you find yourself speaking with one but not the other? My prayer is that moving forward, you would ask the Lord to help you speak the truth and point others to His Word, and to do so with love and compassion towards the people around you.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about every topic under the sun these days. In the midst of our cultural climate, it’s important that we ask this question: What is my responsibility as a follower of Jesus when it comes to what I should say and how I should say it?
It can be difficult to know when to speak up and when to stay silent. Scripture has a lot to say about standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, but it also talks a lot about having wisdom and discernment with your tongue, making sure to be quick to listen and slow to speak. It’s a tricky, and sometimes scary, line to walk trying to figure out how we can best use our words as believers. However, I believe Paul’s words to the Ephesians serve as a great reminder we can all keep at the forefront of our minds when it comes to how we can honor the Lord and serve others with our words.
In a nutshell, Paul is basically saying that a sign of a mature follower of Christ is the ability to speak the truth in love. Many people can speak the truth, but not do so in a loving way. And many people can speak in a loving way while neglecting to share the truth. But it takes someone with true spiritual maturity to speak the truth in love, so as to point others to Jesus while loving them the way the Lord commands us to.
So, let me ask you this question: Do you speak the truth in love? Or do you find yourself speaking with one but not the other? My prayer is that moving forward, you would ask the Lord to help you speak the truth and point others to His Word, and to do so with love and compassion towards the people around you.
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