"Speak the truth in love"

Here's a biblical principle seldom practiced.

"Speak the truth in love."


No doubt, part of the  problem is how we do this.

*The "speak" can become "yelling" and "gesticulating".

The "truth" can be diluted and distorted.

The "in love" can be lost on line, miscommunicated in a letter, or even misread in a  face-to-face meeting.

Hardly seems worth the risk.

Except, the alternative is to harbor anger, to become sullen and withdrawn, to become passively aggressive...to miss the opportunity that openness and honesty afford when exercised in the context of Christian love.

Yes, there are still risks.

I have shared on occasions "in love"  in the past with Christian brothers where my sharing was turned around to make me feel guilty or to question my motives.

For me, it's still worth it.

Obeying the Word, exercising the biblical principle, and checking personal motives will enable you to "speak the truth in love" and to move forward without rancor or bitterness.

I know.  I've compared the benefit of "speaking the truth in love" to harboring bitterness in my heart--something warned against in God's word.  There's no comparison.

Obey the Word.  Take the "risk".

"Speak the truth in love."