There I was, sitting in my car in the parking
lot of Sprout’s. I knew I
had to make the call and I just couldn’t move on with my day until I made
it. I hadn’t lied, but I
wasn’t completely honest either. A
phone call from a friend led to a conversation that took me by surprise. Being caught off guard, I wasn’t
prepared to share the entire truth, so I “omitted” information. After hanging up the phone, I drove
down the street in an attempt to move on with my day, but it wasn’t that
easy. My heart was not at
rest and the "omitted" truth was following me around like a
shadow. I knew I had not
shared on the open, honest level I should have. So here I was, in my car for the past
30 minutes, trying to rationalize my position of “omitting” information. Love wouldn’t allow me to carry on
with my day without the truth. So,
I made the difficult call…
1 John 3:18-20 says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions
and in truth. This is how
we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his
presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” When we love
in truth, there is freedom in our hearts that puts us at rest. Even if the truth is not necessarily
the words we wish we could speak, it is still an expression of love. This very expression of love disarms
the enemy’s lies and frees us from the torment of dishonesty.
Speaking the truth to someone sends a message
that says “you matter to me’, “you deserve the truth even if it hurts”, and
simply “I love you.” If we’re lucky, we have that one friend who we know we can always count on to
tell us the truth, even if it hurts. That
friend chooses the right words, the right tone, and the right way to tell us the truth. In exchange, that friend’s love is never in question.
The truth is not always the easy road and will sometimes require follow-up
action.
Does your truth require asking for
forgiveness?
Does your truth require letting something go?
Does your truth require making a change?
What is required for your heart to be at rest?
In John 8:31-32, Jesus speaks to the Jews who had believed him saying, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.” No
matter what is required, walk in freedom, let love rejoice in the truth and
let the truth set you free.
Love Always,
Shy
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