Galatians 4:16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
I find it hard to tell the truth sometimes. Often times people don’t want to hear the truth. Take for instance the greeting, “How are you doing?” Do people want the truth when they ask you that? Do they really want to know what is going on in your life or are they just wanting the superficial answer? And what about someone asking you, “What do you think of this idea?” It is hard to be a person of truth at times.
But God calls us to a life of truth. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalms 51:6). We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Jesus tells us that the truth will set you free (John 8:32). So, how can we be more like Paul and speak the truth even to our own hurt (Psalms 15:4)?
I think that the answer is in the question, who is your audience? I don’t mean who you are talking to, although that makes answering some questions easier. I mean if your audience is man, then there will always be the temptation to shy away from a truth that might be confrontational. But if your audience is God, He already knows the truth so you have nothing to lose. We are to live our life for the applause of One. And that One loves us with an everlasting love. That’s how Paul could stand in his truth through any trial. He was determined to live for Christ in any and all situations. Let’s do the same.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:6
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