July 14, 2009
The Truth Hurts
In talking about unity in the body of Christ, Paul tells us to speak the truth in love. Now I know the ‘in love’ phrase is important, but I think it sometimes keeps us from speaking the truth at all. When we expose a weaknesses or sins in one another, the last thing we’re going to be looking for is the love factor. Too bad Scripture didn’t also instruct us to listen to the truth in love. (Eph 4:15)
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Gail;
-----Love is maybe the most misunderstood attitude of the interpersonal relationship. In the least, it seems to be regarded as some sort of gluey, emotional niceness, and in the most, some sort of longing possessiveness. Always it seems to evoke some impression of sharing, giving, and making people happy, to be splattered about generously. But still, it orbits around our thoughts as an element of some other mystical world that has filtered like an ether into our harsh reality where it can be wished about more effectively than practiced. But all that is because it is misunderstood to be more an emotion than a principle.
-----One can speak in tongues of men or angels, possess prophetic powers, understand all mysteries and knowledge, have faith enough to move mountains, give away everything and deliver one’s self to be burned, and yet be worthless without love. For love is not simply a doing, nor a reason for doing, nor a feeling of doing; it is the manners for doing and a spiritual essence of involvement that measures less by sensation and more by thoughtfulness.
-----Love speaks the truth with patience. It understands when situations are not ripe for it, and when they are. It considers everything as it actually is, more than it wants it to be. It speaks the truth kindly, examining carefully for what benefit’s the most at the right time. So it reveals truth only as a situation becomes ready for truth to work its good. It does not use the truth as a weapon of jealousy, nor a vessel of boastfulness, but as a supply for goodness. It does not use the truth to gain self-advantage, to irritate others, or to get back at loss. It considers a won argument less valuable than a won neighbor and keeps quiet when truth serves self at others’ expense. It does not rejoice in destroying with the truth, but in building up and supporting with it. For love is the filter through which feelings, thoughts, and intentions pass, sorting them between those that become actions and messages, and those which die in the dust bin of the soul.
-----Love recognizes truth as a commodity belonging to everyone, as precious as gold, and dangerous as wealth. It considers withheld truth as robbery, misgiving truth as treachery, and misunderstood truth as viral. So it patiently speaks truth only as others can bear with it, only in quantities they can believe, hoping it will work for their good, and seeking only the endurance of what benefits everyone. It deals tenderly with the truth, for both love and truth are delicate china. So Paul bids us to speak the truth in love, because every one of us are in our own ways rather bullish in their closet.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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