Members

6/8/2009

Ephesians 4.25 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

And as members of one another the hurt we may do to another we do to ourselves. If I am truly interconnected with my fellow saints and I treat them poorly, then I am doing hurt to myself and that is sickness of a very grave sort.

Speaking the truth may be sometimes hurtful as removing a sharp object from one’s finger is painful and yet even that pain pales in comparison to the pain of hurting another believer because of interconnectedness.

What eases all of this is: “…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ…” (verse 15) What we love we take care of and Paul is telling us to grow up and take care of one another with truth and love.

So the bottom line for me is that I must speak the truth and do so in love but not fall prey to the temptation to be selective with whom I speak and how I speak. Paul’s admonition is to speak the truth in love with everyone – all the time for that is how God deals with us and how He expects me to deal with others.

Father in Heaven,

This is not a rule or regulation but simply a reflection of Your heart towards all people – You speak to us in truth with love; and You expect all of Your children to do the same. Help me this day to honor the interconnectedness I have with other believers and the potential of interconnectedness I may have with those yet to believer – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.