Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
— Ephesians 4:25
People get hurt when minor issues get blown out of perspective. When something happens, the situation seems so big, but you know deep in your heart that you just need to let it go. How often do these little problems cause unrest, dissension, and hurt relationships? We need to learn to pinpoint these irritations and do something before they ultimately steal our time, rob our peace, and destroy our relationships with those we truly care about.
Is there someone you have a hard time getting along with? Perhaps you have a friend who has disillusioned you. Others may just annoy you and make you uncomfortable. You don't know why you feel the way you do, but when you see them, you want to turn away. Perhaps someone has hurt you inadvertently by carelessly saying something, or maybe they have purposefully attacked you. No matter their intention, their words hurt your heart, and you feel wounded. The pain of their thoughtless words and actions is real.
As a Christian, you should ask the Lord to forgive you for your bad attitude and help you change how you see people who have wounded you. You know you should disregard their flaws, forgive their wrongdoings, and forget the things about them that bother you. The Lord asks you to do something else—to be honest with the person who has offended you.
Perhaps your emotions are so overwhelming that you just want to forget the person and the issue that has hurt you. Your flesh doesn't want you to take the time to forgive and make an effort to restore your relationship with them. In truth, as much as you want to forget, you can't. You keep remembering that moment when you were hurt and rehearsing it again and again in your mind. You examine every little thing said. Your feelings are fresh—as if the offense just happened. You should be over it, but you aren't.
If this describes you, the time has come to let go of your hurt and forgive the person who hurt you. Bad attitudes pushed down deep inside you become a root of bitterness that will eventually destroy you (Hebrews 12:15). To rid yourself of this destructive mentality, you must confront your bad attitude and be honest with yourself and the person who hurt you.
Honesty is vital. Being honest is Paul's directive in Ephesians 4:25: "Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another." God tells us to put away the tendency to lie and avoid conflict.
Paul wrote to mature believers who were having problems with each other. Maybe they weren't deliberately lying. Perhaps they just didn't know how to be honest with each other. No matter how the problem emerged, it had led to lying. Paul called on these believers to learn how to speak the "truth" with one another.
Most churches have believers who pretend everything is fine when a brother or sister's words or actions have hurt them. They aren't trying to be dishonest. They think silence about what has upset them makes them mature and spiritual. But this is spiritual immaturity. The outcome is most often the growth of bad attitudes, bitterness, and a hardened heart.
Ignoring your hurt will not make it go away. You may push it deep down inside for a while, but the next time a similar issue arises with the same person, that old injury, with all its bitterness, will burst to the surface. This sudden reaction reveals that you have not dealt with your hurt. You never worked through it; you just covered it up.
Honesty might be challenging, but it is no more demanding than living in bitterness and resentment. Being honest with the one who has hurt you may seem difficult, but when it heals the brokenness in a relationship, you are free. Jesus told us to love each other as He has loved us. Honestly sharing your heart in Jesus’ love (Ephesians 4:15) frees you of emotional bondage. You let the one who has hurt you and yourself off the hook. It no longer matters.
Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about being honest with someone who has hurt you?
*******
Dear Jesus, I hate my bad attitude and ask your forgiveness. I choose right now to give it to you. I need your wisdom. I yield to you, Holy Spirit, guiding me into truth about this issue, myself, and _______. Help me to receive spiritual understanding. As I search the intentions of my heart, may your Word speak to me and give me revelation knowledge about myself and ________. Reveal to me any dishonesty I have had in this relationship in an attempt to deal with my hurt. Teach me, Holy Spirit, how to speak the truth in love. I want to live with integrity and honor you, Lord, in all the areas of my life and in all my relationships. Thank you, Jesus, for shedding your love abroad in my heart. I know you will give me the strength to forgive completely and without hesitation. You will give me your words to say. May I always forgive and move forward in honesty, integrity, and grace.
In Your Name, Jesus. Amen.
www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/honesty-in-your-relationship.html
No comments:
Post a Comment