Unfailing love and truth have met together

.... Righteousness and peace have kissed (Psalm 84:10)! As I keep saying, the Hebrew language is very rich in meaning. In addition to unfailing love,  the Hebrew word means devotion, kindness and mercy. And in addition to truth,  we have firmness and faithfulness. All these things, together with righteousness and peace,  are found  supremely in the Lord Jesus Christ. In many ways then,  the command to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), is a command to imitate Christ. And the fact that they persecuted Him, and will persecute us when we follow Him (John 15:20),  is a strong indication that these attributes do not always sit well togther.  Indeed,  as with the prophets of old, they wanted to kill Jesus for speaking the truth (John 8:40). He always spoke in love of course, for He is love (1 John 4:8).

In recovery circles we call love without truth enabling.  A father  covers for his son, paying his fines for him, a wife tells the boss her drunken husband is ill.  But when we shield our loved ones from the consequences of their actions, we rob them of the lessons from the school of hard knocks. It is hard to see your son sent to jail if there is some way to prevent it. And there are likely times it might be appropriate to do that. But sometimes we might need to let it happen and then faithfully visit him.  This is called tough love in the literature. The Lord exercises tough love with us when He disciplines us. As the Scriptures says “Whom the Lord loves He disciplines.” Actually it is a sign of sonship (daughtership – Hebrews 12:6).
 
Truth without love can be harsh,  even be cruel. When we are angry we can speak the truth simply in order to hurt. There are parts of our culture that values honesty, but we can be brutally honest.  We can also fool ourselves into thinking we are speaking in love forgetting that it is not just what we say, but how and when we say it. With respect to how, in addition to love we need to let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). The idea is that it should be palatable, using gracious words.  With respect to when, it is interesting to note that Jesus withheld truth for a season, because the disciples were not yet ready, not yet able,  to bear it (John 16:12). Indeed there are times when He waits to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18).  

Father, it was on my heart this morning that some,  thinking they are speaking in love either affirm,  or excuse,  behaviour that,  though it may seem right, nevertheless leads  to destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Certainly we must not judge, but Paul was not backward in “teaching every man, and warning every man in all wisdom” (Colossians 1:28).  Help us to get this right Lord, and to always be ready to give an answer of the hope within us with love, devotion, kindness and mercy, and truth, firmness and faithfulness.  In Jesus Name Amen