Counter Culture: Warn One Another — Thursday
Hebrews 3:13
You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (NLT)
How do you handle hard conversations? Everyone has a different gut reaction when it comes to confrontation—somewhere on the spectrum of “fight or flight.” Our instincts in confrontation often lead us to one or the other, or maybe even somewhere in between. For myself, I tend to lean toward fight. I’m not afraid of a hard conversation, and on the grace-and-truth pendulum, I swing toward truth. On the other hand, one of my roommates has a natural instinct toward flight. She is one of the most grace-filled people I’ve ever met, but she also avoids confrontation like the plague.
When we are faced with the opportunity to offer correction to others, we tend to revert to our fight-or-flight instincts. But in both instances, I’ve found that these extreme spectrums are not always healthy, and can oftentimes lead to poor communication and fallout. So where do we go from here?
Paul commands us to warn each other, but what does that exactly mean? When we see other believers living in sin, we are asked to speak truth into their lives. “Living in sin” is a loaded phrase, but it doesn’t always have to seem like a detrimental lifestyle or action on the surface. It can be as simple (and deadly) as gossip, cheating, or lying—even if those things seem “small” on the surface. Speaking truth into the lives of others, especially in light of our fight-or-flight instincts, can be a bit paralyzing. If we naturally want to fight, we can risk ruining a relationship with harsh words, even though those words are true. When we take flight, we also risk ruining a relationship because we are living in fear of another person’s reaction and putting our comfort over the state of their soul.
When we call people higher—when we speak truth—the only way we can do it is through the Holy Spirit. Asking the Lord to give wisdom and guidance when faced with hard conversations is the first step we should take. As we rely on Him, He will give us the words, the grace, and the courage to speak the truth in love.
Thursday’s Reflection
Whose life is God calling you to speak truth into? Ask Him to lead you in the conversation and give you the words to say.