The Truth Sometimes Offends

Jesus stood against wrong.

"Pray God to send a few more men with what Americans call "Grit" in them; men, who when they know a thing to be right, will not turn away, or turn aside, or stop; men who persevere all the more because there are difficulties to meet or foes to encounter; who stand all the more true to their Master because they are opposed; who, the more they are thrust into the fire, the hotter they become, who just like a bow, the farther the string is drawn back, the more powerfully it sends forth arrows, and so the more they are trodden upon, the more mighty they become in the cause of truth vs. error" - Quote by Charles Spurgeon  (Think of David's Mighty Men - 2 Samuel Chapters 22-33).

Before I go any further, let me state that this applies to women as well as men.  We live in a day of political correctness and non-controversial speech.  Men used to stand up for the cause of right; now, we are taught that it is honorable to cower so as not to offend while the proponents of wrong spread their misleading policies and ideas.  Yes, God wants us to be careful with our words, but never was it His intent that we remain silent and not confront the misleading ideas being spread.  God expects us to shed light in darkness and reveal truth when a deception is presented; if the truth offends, so be it.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:10, "And then shall many be offended....."  By what?  The truth.  Yes, even at the risk of losing friendships.  Jesus addressed this in Luke 6:22, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."  As far as I can tell, Jesus spoke the truth without hesitation.  He called some Vipers, Serpents, Liars, etc.  He never spoke with doubt or weakness when confronting wrong, but spoke with boldness and authority.  As the men of old would say, "Thus saith the Lord."  Jesus said, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but BY ME."  What authority and boldness; what "True Grit."  Again, I'm not talking about being brash and ugly; let's stay decent but by all means STAND.  He also stated "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven....."  How do you state that nicely and without being controversial?  Could you hear the authority in His words?  He didn't say, "Well, I'm not sure" or "We'll see."  I got news for you; if you stand for truth in this world, you will be viewed as proud and controversial.  For some reason some people don't like folks who are sure of themselves and what they believe in.  If you stand on the Bible and what is right, you have something sure; so, don't be afraid.  I know what you are thinking because I've thought it too; I don't want to lose my friends or I hate being in the minority.  I like what Martin Luther said, "God and I make a majority."  By the way, the only friends you'll lose are friends who weren't truly friends or at least friends you won't have much in common with.   On the day you stand before God, he'll know where you stood and with whom you stood.   He'll not ask to see how many friends you had on Facebook. 

Unfortunately, some people apply this same reasoning to parenting.  Many parents are afraid to stand up for right in their homes.  I've never seen so many parents afraid of their children.  As a result, it is the children that run the home.  They fear they will lose their kid's friendship and as a result, they lose their respect.  Our job as parents is not to meet our children's every whim, but to build arrows for God that will go further than we have (Psalms 127: 3,4).  Our job is to teach them about God and right from wrong, as well as, provide, protect and lead them in the right direction.  It is when they are out of your home and out of your control that friendships are built.  You say, "but they'll hate me."  They'll hate you when they end up living a destructive life.  They'll say, "Why didn't mom or dad tell me this could happen?"  or "I wish they had kept me from doing these things."  By the way, kids always have a heart for their parents.  I've heard stories of kids who grew up in horrible situations who still love their parents.  As a young child, I always thought my parents were strict.  "They must like making my life miserable," I thought.  "Why won't they let me hang out with certain people" I would say.  Today, a parent of six wonderful kids, I know why they stood firmly where they stood and I love them all the more.  Stand for truth and when you can no longer stand, get some crutches and stand some more.