Truth in Love pt. 1

“Instead, speaking the truth in love …” Ephesians 4:15

Jesus tells us to remove the plank in our own eye before seeking to help someone else:

“You hypocrite, first take a look in the mirror and then take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5 Italics and bold added)

Jesus did not say to look in the mirror and then walk away and leave your brother or sister alone. So what would it look like to seek to help someone, by helping to remove the speck in their eye? Be careful, be gentle, and yet again, keep a steady eye on your own mirror:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. …

“(Look in the mirror): If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions.” (Galatians 6:1-4 Bold added)

“Gently.” And be sure they first feel overwhelmed with grace before you add salt – truth – to your words:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

A Bowl of Mashed Potatoes

Helping someone remove the speck in their eye, i.e., speaking truth in love, is similar to a bowl of mashed potatoes. If I charge in with all salt – all truth – but with no grace in advance, I will certainly be met with deaf, if not irritated and offended ears. So I first try to “Let my conversation be always full of grace.” Heartfelt grace, not syrupy compliments.

I nurture common ground. I let them know I am not judging them. I extend the same “love, joy, peace, patience” that was extended to me by Jesus. (Galatians 5:22-23)

If I were to serve you a bowl of mashed potatoes with no salt, it would taste somewhat bland. Bland, as in it would not be worth eating. But if I overwhelmed the mashed potatoes with salt, you could not eat it at all. It would be too bitter.

Imagine the mashed potatoes as the grace, and the salt as the truth. Just the right amount of salt … “seasoned with salt” … and the grace-filled mashed potatoes are perfect. Delicious to the heart and to the head. So when we are attempting to help a friend remove the speck from their eye, we season our interaction with truth, but we first nurture with grace and gentleness.

May you always enjoy your Father’s delicious grace-mashed potatoes, but may you always be willing to first taste the salt of truth yourself as well.