Do you love people? I am usually pretty good at loving people who are not like me. I have always enjoyed having friends who see the world differently, people who have grown up in different places and in different ways. But circumstances over the past few years (not just pandemic-related) have caused me to be more guarded, and I’m realizing, more apathetic. The mob mentality coupled with individuals who fuel conflict have worn many of us down. The sad thing is that I find myself unwilling to engage. I sometimes just nod and say “mm-hmmm” in an effort to move on. I don’t explicitly affirm, but I often convey an “I hear ya” vibe.
But I am wondering if this level of apathy is actually hate. Do I just not care enough about the person to tell them what I really think? If I loved them, wouldn’t I be willing to speak the truth, no matter how unpopular? I rationalize that many people have been brainwashed and scared into adopting untenable positions — what will my personal take do to unravel the layers upon layers of “experts”? Yet I feel more and more convicted that I cannot claim to love and at the same time allow absurdities to go unchallenged.
I have two close friends (who have never met) that both despise the word “winsome.” And maybe that’s related to what I’m talking about. Maybe we’ve put too much emphasis on being winsome at the cost of being straightforward. Maybe my nodding and “I hear ya”-ing is a result of feeling like I need to be winsome, when my true call — and that of all of believers — is to contend for the truth. Which is easier: being winsome or being completely honest? If we can be completely honest and winsome at the same time then I’m all for it, but let’s also be willing to engage in the uncomfortable task of saying, “That’s not right.” If we truly love people, we will. Don’t let relational apathy stifle truth-telling.
Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve? Proverbs 22: 17-21
Digging Deeper:
Psalm 15 says that those who speak the truth from their heart can dwell in God’s holy mountain. Do you feel like your willingness to let untruths stand has been influenced by 21st Century culture? Are you motivated more by loving someone enough to tell them the truth or by the fact that it pleases God?
Is there someone who currently needs to hear the truth from you? Have you prayed about how to lovingly engage them?
Are you convinced that you sometimes remain silent out of apathy?
💯🫶🏼