Speaking Truth in Love

A lot of people, (writers in particular) like to pick a “word for the year.” A single word that sums up what they want to focus on in the upcoming months.

This year, I chose Truth.

In John chapter 8, Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV)

There has never been a more important time in history to hold fast to what we believe and to speak up when lies start to restrict our rights. I want to encourage you to be bold. Not aggressive. Not demeaning. Just confidently communicating what you know to be true.

And lies aren’t coming only from secular movements. Many forms of Progressive Christianity are compromising in areas that are negatively affecting our families and our freedoms. All too often, it’s hard to tell the difference between the “prosperity Gospel” churches and secular culture.

Amidst these rapid changes, Allie Beth Stuckey points out in her podcast Relatable that “There’s no more time for bad doctrine.”

Our churches are the last place we’d expect the lies to propagate, which is why it’s important to pay extra attention to what our pastors are teaching.

As we’ve seen for some time, the more obvious deceit comes from the government, political activists, and school boards. And mainstream media takes all the information, dices it up just the right way to serve their purpose, and feeds it to American citizens on a silver platter tarnished with deceit.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. But what I want to do today is encourage you to do something.

Because we’ve all been put on this earth “for such a time as this.”

Wherever you are in life and whoever you come in contact with, don’t be afraid to speak up. Whether it’s your church, your school board, or your local government, it’s important to stand for our freedoms.

A few tips:

Do your research. Find multiple sources and be wary of those who claim to be infallible and unbiased. And don’t forget to go to the source. Always read the original text of new policies.
Ask questions. Get to know their point of view and listen. Have them define what they mean by “gender equality” or “racial injustice.” These phrases have been blurred by the media and have different meanings to different people. This way you can fully understand where they’re coming from.
Be humble. Respect one another. You won’t get anywhere by always reaching for the upper hand.
Don’t back down. Once you understand the whole picture, speak the truth with confidence. To paraphrase a comment by Allie Beth Stuckey, we don’t have to compromise in order to be a peacemaker.

God is in control and He and He alone will reign in the end. He was clear in His Word that it won’t always be easy on this earth. We may suffer for our beliefs.

But this is only for a season and this isn’t our forever home.

And we won’t back down.