Good morning! This morning I want to talk to you about allowing others to speak into your life. Today we live in a world where finding the truth can sometimes be a difficult proposition. From corporate scandals, to government spin everywhere we look the truth seems to be the last thing anyone cares about.
Unfortunately, many people live their lives in a similar fashion. We all know of people, maybe even you, who live their lives in denial. When we think of denial, we tend to think of someone struggling with alcohol or drugs, but what about the day to day things?
You may be in denial over the quality of your performance at work, you may be in denial about your spending habits or the amount of debt you carry, you may be in denial about the neglect of your walk with God.
When we get into these issues of personal denial, we begin to live in a self-created fantasy world. We convince ourselves that everything is ok, but we ignore the proverbial 900 pound gorilla sitting in the corner of the room.
One of the things that is most valuable to me is having people in my life who have permission to expose the truth. I have for many years maintained accountability relationships with other men. These men have permission to ask the hard questions about my marriage, my parenting, my personal walk with God and my ministry.
When they see me living a manufactured reality or ignoring the existence of problems, it is their role in my life to expose the truth.
Look at what Proverbs says:
Proverbs 27:6 (NLT)
Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
Unfortunately for us too many people are willing to sidestep delicate issues in our lives, because they don’t want to hurt our feelings. They will dance around the problems never forcing us to face reality.
A true friend, however, will not beat around the bush. They will speak the truth in love, because they care for you. Think of it this way….if your Doctor knew you had cancer, you would want him or her to be honest with you. Suppose now that your Doctor didn’t want to tell you the truth, because they didn’t want to hurt your feelings. They just told you that you had a virus or a bug or perhaps they just talked about the symptoms. In the end you would be upset that the truth had not come out.
This week I want to challenge you to find someone who can tell you the truth, good or bad about your life. Allow yourself to be examined on a regular basis. God will use these times to deal with the issues that hinder your service to Him.
My parents used to tell me at times: “The truth hurts.” It is in these times of brutal honesty that your character will be developed and the quality of God’s workmanship will shine through.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
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