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I’m taking a look at some biblical principles which give us guidance when we have to deal with a difficult relationship—like a co-worker who is lazy, or uncooperative, or negative, to name a few.
The “Speak-the-Truth-in-Love” Principle
Ephesians 4:14 and 15 gives us a very important principle:
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.
Speaking the truth to people is sometimes the part we are called on to play in their lives to help them grow. Of course, the operative word here is “love.” Have you ever spoken the truth in haste or anger? Often truth is spoken in hatred and vindictiveness. Truth can be spoken with malice or in defensiveness.
You see, the truth can often be very painful. When we speak it in anything but love, we can open a door that never should be opened and cause a rift in a relationship that may never be healed.
Which would describe you best?
- Would you say that you have difficulty speaking the truth in love even when you know you should? If so, is that because you hate confrontations, or fear rejection or repercussions? Or perhaps you feel guilty since you know that you’re not perfect either.
- Or would you say that you speak the truth too freely and often without compassion or forethought?
In practicing this biblical principle of speaking the truth in love, you need to exercise extreme caution. Words are very powerful and need to bathed in prayer. Your motivation must be carefully scrutinized to make certain that you are speaking the truth in love for the right reason at the right time.
However, remember that speaking the truth in love is a biblical principle, and when God puts you in a position where you should do just that, to fail to do so is to rob that person of an opportunity to become more mature.