Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 4:11-16 (day three)
“…speaking the truth in love…”
The old movie quote, “You can’t handle the truth!” has particular resonance with this passage. It’s not necessarily that people to whom you are speaking cannot handle the truth. The question is how you yourself will handle that which is true. Can you be trusted to steward the truth well? Will you employ truth as a means to power? Will you speak what is technically true in order to prove a point? Will you say something just because it is true to avoid the difficulty of maintaining silence? Truth tempts one to all kinds of bullying behavior, or passive-aggressive ploys, or sanctimonious posturing. When love generates one’s speech and behavior, though, truth will serve love, and it will focus all interactions heavenward. People will reject truth, but you will never reject people when love flows from you.
