SPEAKING TRUTH

Ephesians 4:25 - "Therefor each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor."

What does it mean to speak truthfully to our neighbors and who are our "neighbors" anyway?

A neighbor is anybody you cross paths with on a regular basis during day to day life. This could be friends, coworkers, people who live next door, or even people you don't know well but keep bumping into. When we interact with others we are told to be truthful and not false. This is easier said than done. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul writes, "We loved you so much that we were eager to share with you not only the gospel but our lives as well."

One of the best ways to put simple substance to the complexity of gospel is to honestly share the details of our lives with others.  This could be as simple as talking about our kids, families or what we did over the weekend in a friendly, non judgmental, loving way. Most of the time though, we make small talk and say  things "our neighbors" want to hear. We typically don't bring up church, or bible studies or issues of faith for fear  of ruffling feathers and making others uncomfortable. While this is very considerate, it makes it difficult for Christ's light to shine through our lives. How will our neighbors know of the hope and difference that God's truth makes if our ultimate goal is to blend in with the darkness that envelopes our culture. Our goal should not be to blend end but to shine brilliantly in a gentle, caring and considerate way.

1 Peter 3:15 says to "always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect."

With discernment and patient, we can speak respectfully, gently, and truthfully to those around us about the faith we have and the difference it has made in our life.

last edited: ddb 11/17/12