Arguably one of the most dramatic moments in a movie was when Jack Nicholson’s character shouted from the witness stand at Tom Cruise’s character, “You can’t handle the truth!” It was a powerful moment that has been often quoted in a variety of circumstances. There is a biblical truth at play here. When a person shares a fact or truth from anger, malice, or even hatred it very often loses its relevance to the other person. Rather than receive it and learn from it, they more often become defensive or try to fight back using “facts” of their own. Opportunities for real conversation and growth are squandered and distance is created. Here is the Biblical truth I referred to: “truth without love is legalism, love without truth is a lie.” Neither is useful in God’s Kingdom. Real love is not allowing someone you care about to live with no regard for God’s Truth. It’s loving to speak caringly and carefully into their sin to help them. But, only from a place of love. There are a lot of people speaking “their truth” to others, these days, but love is nowhere to be seen. Still others are so “loving” that any destructive behavior is permissible in the name of loving acceptance. Today, speak the Truth in love, or be silent.
“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,” Ephesians 4:15 NASB