Hello ,

Christian businessman and author John D. Beckett shares the following personal story about the redemptive power of speaking the truth in love:

I was in a dental chair being prepped for the replacement of a filling. Just as my mouth was filled with dental hardware so I could only mumble, the dental technician said, out of the blue, "You're Mr. Beckett, aren't you?" I grunted assent.

"Well, I want to thank you for firing my husband."

I was stuck. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could only listen to the ensuing monologue.

"It happened ten years ago," she said. "A few days after your company hired my husband, he was notified he had failed a drug test. You may not recall," she continued, "but you called him into your office before he left. You said, 'I realize I don't have any choice but to terminate you, but I want to tell you something. You're at a crossroads. You can keep going the way you are, and the results are very predictable. Or you can take this as a wake-up call. You can decide you're going to turn your life around.'"

I'm sure the technician couldn't see the beads of perspiration on my forehead under all the paraphernalia as she continued: "I want you to know, my husband took your advice. Today, he's a good father, a good husband, and he has a fine job. Thank you for firing my husband!"

I wish I could say that all our terminations have turned out this way. ... Regardless of the outcome, however, we must be prepared to take action when a situation can't be brought around. In a strange way, it's an aspect of our care for people.*

Really caring about people is sometimes speaking the hard truth to them in loving ways.  I'm not speaking about belittling, manipulating, or coercing someone...that's not Christ-like.  A word in due season however, can be a turning point in someone's life...even if it stings in the moment.  

We shouldn't look for it, or run around trying to change other people's lives, but once in a while we come to a place where telling someone the straight truth shows love and kindness towards them in ways that bypassing and downplaying a difficult situation can never do.

It requires prayer, love, and a willingness to be led by God's Holy Spirit.

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word 

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