I was listening to a clip of Dave Ramsey’s radio show and my ears perked up when he said he doesn’t think about whether people will be happy with the answers he gives callers.
He said he thinks about how he can help the person to the best of his ability with the time he has to do it.
It reminded me Christians have the same objective when sharing God’s word.
It would be nice if people always liked what we told them and felt good about the biblical advice we offered. But it isn’t realistic! Some things in the Bible simply don’t sit well with folks. The apostle Paul knew sometimes even Christians don’t love what God’s word says. In Galatians 4:16 he wrote “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (NKJV)
So what do you do when somebody asks your advice but probably won’t like what you say? One thing you can do is honestly ask yourself what your objective is. Are you trying to make this person happy (an endless task that will never be fully successful), or are you truly trying to help them have a better life?
Paul knew it was necessary to lovingly say what was needed (Ephesians 4:15). God’s word allows us to avoid being tossed around by every wind of doctrine, keeps us from being deceived and otherwise tricked. The truth helps us grow as we ought. Thus, the truth needs to be told.
Speaking the truth in love doesn’t mean every word is honey sweet. It means our motivation is a true concern for the best interest of the one to whom we’re talking.
You’ve probably been corrected by somebody who told you the truth but didn’t care about you. Let’s learn from those mistakes and aim to speak the truth because we truly care about the people we’re trying to reach.
Give it some thought,
John