Without love, truth is not heard

 

2 Samuel 2; Psalm 50; Ezekiel 11; 1 Corinthians 13

When I do something that offends, confession usually takes away my sense of guilt. However, I’ve confessed to God some harsh words I said to a mean person, yet still feel bad. God has not rebuked me for saying what I did nor clearly given me direction to ask forgiveness of the person I spoke to, which has puzzled me. This morning He told me the problem; the other person needed the rebuke, but I need to have a better attitude. Speaking truth is one thing, but I did not speak it in love but contempt. The Lord convicts me of doing what I did the way I did instead of how He says it should be done.

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:4–5)

At the time, this instruction came to mind, but instead of thinking it through, I reacted like the first verse instead of the second.

As my commentary says, these two sayings belong together. They tell me that I should not be drawn down to a fool’s level, yet at times must use the fool’s language to refute the fool so he does not become conceited. Wisdom is needed to determine when to apply verse 4 and when to apply verse 5. Verse 4 could refer to foolish comments that can be ignored. Verse 5 refers to erroneous ideas that must be corrected.

My error is described by the prophet in today’s reading. He gives the problem and then the answer to it:

“You shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.” (Ezekiel 11:12)

By that last phrase, I can now see that my response to that “fool” was more like his way of talking to people than it was God’s way. This reveals to me that I need the work of the Holy Spirit in that part of my thinking. Ezekiel offers God’s thoughts on that and at the same time tells me He will take care of the fools of this world; it is not my assignment . . .

“And I will give you singleness of heart, and a different attitude I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh, that you may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them . . . because you are my child, and I am your God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 11:19–21, personalized)

It is not a coincidence that this reading is followed by the love chapter in the New Testament. It describes the attitude of a heart that knows how to speak to others, whether they are children of God or tools of the devil, godly people or fools. The description is long, but just this part of it rebukes my bad attitude and tells me how I should think and act, even toward mean and unkind people:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

My devotional book says it’s not easy to define Christian love, but it is easy to “find its supreme example. Christ’s love for us is not grounded in our loveliness, but in his own character. His love is not merely sentimental, yet it is charged with incalculable affection and warmth. It is resolute in its self-sacrifice, but never merely mechanical self-discipline.”

APPLY: To love as Jesus loves, I need to be filled with His Spirit, not with an attitude that I can tell fools what to do without doing it myself. As for the person whom I rebuked, God make it clear that I took on His task. Without doing it in His Spirit, no wonder my words had no impact. “Be still and know that I am God.”