IT’S THE TRUTH JULY 21 READ 2 CHRONICLES 16:7–10 ADAPTED FROM 3 QUESTIONS BY ROD LOY PHILIP WAS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN HE TRUSTED CHRIST AS HIS SAVIOR. OUR FAMILY LOVED PHILIP. HE BECAME A THIRD SON TO BE AND A BROTHER TO MY BOYS. WHEN HE BECAME A SENIOR, HE BEGAN DATING A VERY PRETTY GIRL. IN A SHORT TIME, I SAW THAT SHE WASN’T A GOOD INFLUENCE ON HIM. AT FIRST, I TRIED TO CASUALLY ENGAGE HIM ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUT HE WAS DEFENSIVE. THEN I BECAME MORE DIRECT: I WARNED HIM ABOUT THE GIRL HE WAS DATING AND ABOUT HE DIRECTION OF HIS LIFE. IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, HE GRADUALLY WITHDREW FORM OUR FAMILY, THE CHURCH, AND MOST TRAGICALLY, FROM CHRIST. HE COMPLETELY ABANDONED EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE WHO HAD MATTERED TO HIM. I TRIED TO RECONNECT WITH PHILIP ON FACEBOOK. THE MESSAGE CAME BACK THAT MY FRIEND REQUEST HAD BEEN DENIED. HE KNEW I LOVED HIM SO MUCH I HAD TO TELL HIM WHAT HE DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR, BUT HE NOW CONSIDERED ME TO BE HIS ENEMY—AND IT HURT. PAUL FACED A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE GALATIANS: HAVE I NOW BECOME YOUR ENEMY BY TELLING YOU THE TRUTH? (GALATIANS 4:16). AFTER PAUL LEFT GALATIA, JUDAIZERS SLIPPED INTO TOWN AND BEGAN POISONING THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE. PAUL WASN’T WILLING TO LET THEIR SLIDE CONTINUE. HE SHINED A BIG LIGHT OF TRUTH ON THE JUDAIZERS’ MOTIVES AND MESSAGE, AND HE CALLED THE GALATIANS TO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THEIR LIVES. SPEAKING THE TRUTH—ABOUT OTHERS OR ABOUT OURSELVES—REQUIRES A LARGE DOSE OF COURAGE. HOWEVER, IF WE GENUINELY LOVE PEOPLE, WE’LL BE BOLD ENOUGH TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR EVEN IF THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT. WHEN OUR MOTIVES ARE RIGHT, WE CAN SAY VERY HARD THINGS, BUT WE SHOULD SAY THEM WITH A TENDER HEART
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 13:38:01 +0000
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