I Am Not Sorry....................

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways.  It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.  There's no regret for that kind of sorrow.  But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.         2 Corinthians 7:8-10 NLT

Lately I have been learning so much about speaking God's truth in love.  I have learned that Jesus was bold and did not let people get away with sin and that He was confident to speak out about the wrong He saw in others.  Paul was also bold in telling the church how to act and was not afraid to call them out on their sin and disobedience.  He loved the church so much that he was more concerned about the believer's long term punishment than hurting their feelings for a little while.  He understood that if the people didn't straighten up they were headed for eternal disaster.  He was strong enough in the Lord to speak firmness with love; he was less concerned about hurting them and more concerened with the harm that would come if they didn't hear the truth.  

Speaking God's truth in love happens carefuly.  We must recognize that what we are about to say will most likely hurt the person's feelings but we can't let that scare us.  We have to be confident that if God says to speak truth then He will make good from our obedience.  It's also important to remember that although we may be hurting the person's feelings we are not harming them or destroying them.  We are loving them in the way that Jesus loves us.......a way that is so different from the way the world loves, but that's okay!  Some may call it tough love, but we can call it real love.  A love that puts someone's eternity above all other things.  A love that will encourage selfless living and a trust that is so amazing that it shows God's faithfulness in ways one could never imagine.  Loving this way is risky but it's the most rewarding in the end. 

Choose your conflicts wisely!  Don't speak truth without intentions to walk along side whom you have just spoke it to.  Don't force yourself or your ways on the person but lovingly correct and encourage.  Allow the person time to reflect and to hear God's voice.  Talk things through and help each other learn and grow together.   

Dear God, give me boldness to stand up for truth.  Remind me of your amazing love for me and that the only One whom I should worry about impressing is you.  Take away my fear and my worry that my friend will get mad at me or my spouse will leave me or my boss will fire me.  Give me your peace in that speaking your truth is the only thing that matters and then you will care for me from there.  Give me your loving words to speak.  Grow me in this area of my life.  In Jesus' Name  Amen