“Truth has been mistaken as an enemy for centuries because truth can’t be manipulated and stay truth. It is what it is. If it’s horrible, it’s horrible. If it’s humiliating, it’s humiliating. You can’t spin the truth without losing its essence.” (Jen Hatmaker, Girl Talk)
Have you ever tried to make the truth a little less factual, and found yourself right in the middle of a big fat lie? Maybe not on purpose. Maybe you just didn’t want to recognize a few little pieces of the truth. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept what is true, especially when it doesn’t look like we want it to. We all want to be ‘good’, and when the truth indicates that we are ‘bad’, it creates a great struggle within us. But God is not surprised at the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ in each of us, and that is why He came up with a solution for the fallen Human race. He sent a perfect Savior to bridge the gap, Who came to us full of truth and grace! (John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”)
Jesus can reconcile what is true about us with His grace. Remember, grace is not earned, it is freely given! He already knows the truth about each one of us, and He loves us regardless.
You might be wondering what all of that has to do with the topic of friendship, which we have been talking about. Well, it has A LOT to do it with it!
Truth is the foundation for every healthy relationship.
Well-known coauthors and psychologists Cloud and Townsend wrote, “People who can’t reconcile either their own or anyone else’s faults suffer tremendous isolation because they are unable to attach to real, whole people who are both good and bad. The ideals of what ‘should’ be get in the way.”
If we want to have healthy relationships, it is important for us to stop and take inventory of how we are dealing with the truth in our lives. Whether it’s a truth about yourself that God has revealed to you, something a friend has spoken, or the short-comings of another person, sometimes the truth hurts. When the truth is hard to swallow – how are you handling it? Are you living on the grace side of things, or are you holding on to those hurts that persevere with isolation and loneliness?
If Jesus can face the truth about you or the people around you, don’t you think it’s time for you to as well? Allow Jesus to heal those tender places and give you liberty in your relationships with family and friends. Truth is the foundation for every healthy relationship. It’s time to move forward in truth and grace!
God, please help me to accept the truth, and to recognize the truth as my ally. Help me to have mercy and not judge when I see faults in myself or others. I declare that right now, I am letting go of anything negative I have held on to that is keeping me from moving forward in relationships. I ask that Your truth and grace would cover me, and that peace would reign in each relationship. Lord, help me to offer grace to others as You have so freely given to me. I pray You would bring healing, reconciliation, and restoration where needed, and that each relationship would bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
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