“So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
— Galatians 4:16  

There is a price to pay, beloved one, for telling the truth. This is a reality we all must come to grips with.

If our motivation is pure, we cannot allow the fact that the truth may be upsetting to someone stop us from saying it. Our words, though they may sting at first, often will produce positive change in the person’s life. When Paul spoke the truth to the saints in Galatia, they turned on him, and we may experience the same thing. This is the price we must be willing to pay if we’re going to be truth tellers. 

Of course, we must examine our own hearts first. Telling the truth doesn’t mean we share everything we think. It means saying what the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, prompts us to speak. 

Oftentimes we think we’re loving to people by not saying something we think might offend them. But not telling someone the truth is sometimes the least loving thing we could do. Many people don’t share the truth of Jesus because they don’t want to offend or be rejected. But if Jesus is who He said He is—the Messiah—then the most loving thing we can do is tell people about Him, whether they receive our message or not. 

Beloved one, love without truth is not really love, and truth without love is not really truth. Let’s be truth tellers.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Entering His Presence (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2023), Used by permission.