Speaking The Truth In Love

Speaking the Truth in Love

Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

It started with an unexpected message from a friend about a situation that had been weighing me down. Up until then, I was doing a good job of ignoring it, hoping it would go away. The text made it clear that this strategy had failed.

“What are you planning to do to resolve it?” she asked.

The innocent question rubbed me the wrong way. I’d been wrestling with the problem for a while, but no one had had the gall to call me out on it like she was doing. Reading her message, I felt a maelstrom of emotions, none of them pretty.

My abrupt response didn’t deter my friend. She didn’t get angry, but she also made it clear that she wasn’t willing to drop it. And, the message implied, I should want the right thing done too. As leaders in the church, she pointed out, “we all have an obligation to the mission, unity, and health of the church over personal relationships.” But that zinger was quickly followed by a dose of love: “My hope is that you can read through the words and know that they only come from a place of love and honor.”

Seeing both the love and truth of her words, I agreed to work on resolving the problem. And, after further thought, I sent her a follow-up message the next day—this one, an apology.

As Christians, we’re called to walk the line between “grace giving” and “truth telling.” Too much grace giving leads to apathy over sin. Too much truth telling leads to a life marked by rigid legalism. As Christ followers, we’re called to balance both ideals. Galatians tells us to use our freedom from sin to serve one another in love, and my friends’ words—a hard truth—were also spoken in love.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Think of one way to serve a friend, whether it’s by speaking to them about a hard truth or simply showing them love.