Scriptures:
Matthew 18:15 NKJV
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
God = Love Jesus = Truth Jesus = God therefore Love = Truth
I John 4:7 (NKJV)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
John 14:6 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 10:30 (NKJV)
I and My Father are one.”
Couples Devotion – September 23
September 23
The Bible says we are supposed to forgive people and then go and confront them… almost always because…. We confront people who have wronged us as a way of paying them back… getting revenge. The person you are confronting knows you are doing payback and he or she will either be devastated or infuriated-or both. You are not really telling the truth for [truth’s sake or for] their sake; you are telling it for your sake. (Hardcover, p. 164; paperback, p. 183)
“TRUTH” WITHOUT LOVE. Truth-telling without love dis- honors the truth. We say we are only telling our spouse the truth when we are really trying to punish them. They made you feel bad and you want to make them feel bad, using the truth as a club. In such cases the so-called “truth” is usually unbalanced, one-sided, and crafted to hurt. The response to truth-without- love is seldom repentance and seeing the truth clearly. The other person will either be decimated or angered, because they will know you are not so much committed to truth as to payback. If you really care about people realizing the truth, you will convey it in love so it is possible for them to do so.
Reflection: When was the last time you used truth-without-love on each other?
Thought for prayer: Meditate on Galatians 6:1, that you should
only correct someone if they are, first, “caught” in a sin, doing it repeatedly, and second, if you can do it gently and humbly. Now ask God for the ability to only ever criticize along these lines.
Reference: The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy and Kathy Keller.