A Lesson in Humility

I had a hard lesson in humility as I woke up this morning.  It started with the memory of a conversation I had with a friend yesterday afternoon. It was about an email I had copied to him.  It was clear that he wished the email had been a little less direct.  The memory moved to many other memories; when I may have been guilty of just telling the truth with no filters on it.  

Then I began to remember how, in my younger year, careful I use to be.  Almost unwilling to verbalize a truth I felt needed to be stated; for fear of hurting someone.

We do change and grow and sometimes harden as we age.  

I didn’t like what I saw in myself this morning.  My mind twisted and turned, flipped up and down and back and forth; as my mind visited all kind of old memories. 

Then two subject, other than humility, emerged.  One was the importance of telling the truth.  The other was the importance of caring.  Somehow those two qualities get mixed up in my simple brain.

When I care about someone, or something, it is important to me to be honest.  I learned this the hard way through my twenty-nine years of ministry.  At first I was afraid to hurt anyones feelings.  I was very careful to speak with the cautious of grace.  

However, what I  have learned is, that method of dealing with others often creates added conflict and misunderstanding.  Indirect speaking, and/or cautious grace, make the situation muddy.  And resolution is often delayed, detoured or worse yet never occurs.

Around 2008 and 2009 Jesus’ word , “The truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32), resounded loud and clear my head.  I began to realize the extreme wisdom of telling the pure, un-messed with, truth.  Now it true, Jesus was referring to himself when he told his disciples that.  Meaning, the truth of Jesus’ person, and what that truth can being to one who believes.   However, at that particular time in my life,  Jesus’ truth meant I needed to tell my truth; because of Jesus’ truth. 

It did set my free!   It set an entire congregation free!

The other message, that became important, at the time, was Jesus’ lesson on how to best work with people who needed confronting, where Jesus lays out how we approach others by speaking the truth in love.

15 "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Matt. 18)

Soooooooo what I am thinking, this morning, is that it is difficult to be humble when the hard truth is needed. And when Jesus’ truth is needed we have to stand with Jesus  Right?  

So how does all of that balanced with our need to filter truth? 

What is the loving thing to do or say?

What does it mean to be humble and gracious and compassionate?

All this gets mixed-up in my mind!

15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.(Eph. 4)