S)"26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way."
Luke 6:26 (NASB)
O) This can be a tough truth. It's almost like saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is... if everyone around you seems to like you, there is probably at least 1 lie happening. At the least, it's either that you're lying to others so that they will like you, or they are lying to you, and they don't all like you. In any case, you have some soul-searching to do if everyone seems to like you. Externally, when you meet some one and it seems like everyone likes them, it's cause for alarm. This passage reminds me of politics. Everyone putting on a smiling face, when there is rotten truth under the whitewash...
A) I do my best to be peaceable and ammenable, but I also try not to think too much about whether people like me. I can sometimes even take that a little too far, in that I will embarass my wife, or I've unintentionally offended people where there was no cause. There is some balance to find, between being polite and telling people what I think they want to hear. I can never hide the truth, certainly, but I also must take care with how I say things. The Bible says in several places that the way we say things can be just as important as what we're saying (Proverbs 26:18-19, Ephesians 4:15). Letting the Holy Spirit lead me is crucial to this learning process.
P) Father, just as Jesus did, I want to speak Your truth. But, also like Jesus, I don't just want to say the words You'll give me, I want to say it how You want me to say it. Holy Spirit, lead me in my relationships with people. I never want to avoid the truth; there are tough things that must be discussed sometimes. I always want to present the truth in the best possible light, though, God. Like a quarterback throws a catchable ball, I want to be sure that what I have to say is receivable. I know that doesn't mean that everyone will accept it, but it means I've done everything I can. From there, God, help me be comfortable with knowing that some will not have good things to say about me afterwards. I need to be okay with the idea that not everyone will like that I am speaking the truth. Give me strength, wisdom, courage, and peace in this. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
P) Father, just as Jesus did, I want to speak Your truth. But, also like Jesus, I don't just want to say the words You'll give me, I want to say it how You want me to say it. Holy Spirit, lead me in my relationships with people. I never want to avoid the truth; there are tough things that must be discussed sometimes. I always want to present the truth in the best possible light, though, God. Like a quarterback throws a catchable ball, I want to be sure that what I have to say is receivable. I know that doesn't mean that everyone will accept it, but it means I've done everything I can. From there, God, help me be comfortable with knowing that some will not have good things to say about me afterwards. I need to be okay with the idea that not everyone will like that I am speaking the truth. Give me strength, wisdom, courage, and peace in this. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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