1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so 2 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: glad to have you listening. I'm Michelle Zeric. Today's stop 3 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: the gas. Love Others Speak Truth. We'll be back afterwards 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:36,959 Speaker 1: from our sponsor. Love Others speak Truth written it read 5 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: by Michelle s Lezurik. Instead speaking the truth and love. 6 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: We will grow to become in every respect the mature 7 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: body of Him who is the head that is Christ 8 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: Emphasians four, verse fifteen. Who are you to judge me? 9 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: This question came from a loved one who fell convicted 10 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: about an action she had taken, and this person posted 11 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: social media pictures that depicted her in a less than 12 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: flattering light. I boldly spoke truth into her life. I 13 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: let her know that the way she betrayed herself on 14 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: social media was the way people would categorize her, even 15 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: if she didn't always behave that way. Additionally, as someone 16 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: who claimed to be a Christian, she needed to be 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: an example in every situation, including social situations where pictures 18 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: could be taken. The response to the above question, she 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: became defensive and began arguing. However, as we began to argue, 20 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,199 Speaker 1: I noticed her thinking began to change. At one point, 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: she started crying. When I asked her what was making 22 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: her cry, she told me what was really going on 23 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: in her life. Social media posted summarily a symptom of 24 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: a much deever problem. When she humbled herself, we prayed 25 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: together who were also able to bring storm solutions to 26 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: her problems. I gave her some concrete advice, then told 27 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: her I would check in with her leer. I didn't 28 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: want to have to confront her about what I saw 29 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: on social media. In fact, it would have been much 30 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: easier for me sweeping under the rug and pretend it 31 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: didn't exist. But staying silent, rather than boldly challenge her 32 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: to change her behavior, would have done her an injustice. 33 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: What many people think of Jesus as a gentle kind 34 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: man who hugged everyone and gave them what they wanted, 35 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 1: nothing could be further from the truth. He spoke harsh 36 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: words to many people, most of whom are Pharisees, our 37 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: religious group. For many years, I questioned why Jesus would 38 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: say such harsh things, such as calling them a brood 39 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: of vipers. I realized that Jesus, who is closely associated 40 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: with the Holy Spirit, had to make an exception. Jesus 41 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: stated what was right for everyone, and never put himself 42 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: or any desire for the approval of man ahead of 43 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: what he was called to do. Jesus used harsh words 44 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: with the Pharisees, hoping that their hardened hearts would soften 45 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: and they would turn back to God. Confession and repentance 46 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: are key to changing our behavior. However, we can't always 47 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: see the flaws in our character. We need other people 48 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: who know us better than we know ourselves to speak 49 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: her truths into our lives. These heart truths, when we 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: reflect and analyze them, come from a place of love. 51 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: Even if a person doesn't want to hear what's being said, 52 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean it doesn't need to be said. It 53 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: merely means that the person is feeling conviction from the 54 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. In the verse above, Paul understood as speaking 55 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: the truth and love to one another would help the 56 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: Body of Christ grow into wing sure believers. Sweeping things 57 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: under the rug and avoiding hurt feelings led to immaturity 58 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: and a failure to thrive spiritually. As brothers and sissors 59 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: in Christ, we are called to speak heart truth and 60 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: love to each other, even in this culture where people 61 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: don't want to be judged that judgment, when properly placed, 62 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: can lead someone to the cross. When someone is led 63 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: to the cross and their heart is genuine, the Holy 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: Spirit can convict them and they can turn their hearts 65 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: back to him. Although it may seem better and even easier, 66 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: to be silent in the name of being kind, kindness 67 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: isn't always what people need. When people are blind to 68 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: their own instructive with behaviors, those who love them enough 69 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: to speak our truths into their lives will aid them 70 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: in repentance and devotion to the Savior. Father. Let us 71 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: be people who speak the truth and love one another. 72 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: Help us to do so with boldness and conviction. Let 73 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: us not bind ourselves to the world's ways that we 74 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: do not judge. Rather, we need to love, only speak 75 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: the truth to others and the hope that they will 76 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: turn their lives back to you. Amen, intersecting faith in life. 77 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: Has there been a time when you had to speak 78 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: hard truth and love to someone? How did they respond? 79 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: Was the response appropriate? Further reading Ephesians four, verse twenty nine, 80 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 81 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 82 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast your daily prayer. 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