
This lesson explores the tension many of us feel between telling others what we really think and not wanting to hurt their feelings or make them angry.
Which of following best describes you?
If I see someone doing something wrong, it’s important to me to be truthful, even if it means not always being tactful.
If I see someone doing something wrong, it’s important to me to deal with the situation tactfully, even if I need to compromise the whole truth.
Jesus did not tell people what they wanted to hear. He told them what they needed to hear. Sometimes that made them mad. Depending on our temperaments, we have one of two tendencies when it comes to telling the truth as we see it.
Some lean towards niceness.We want people to feel good and not hurt their feelings. We may be uncomfortable with conflict.
Others lean towards toughness. They are blunt to the point of being insensitive to people’s feelings or different point of view.
Living our lives where the norm is niceness is not safe. When we do live that way, we feel we have to hide our true thoughts and feelings. Before we know we going along to get along. And we are not truly happy and often avoid conflicts and those people who are "SO NICE." We view them to by hypocrites.
But living a live of unrestrained toughness isn't safe either. Gentler personalities withdraw to avoid being beaten down.
Jesus calls us to be honest but not mean, truthful but tender.
TRUTHFUL BUT TENDER
Matthew 16:13-28
Matthew 7:1-5
Luke 6:37-39
Matthew 5:21-22
In 7:1-5 we are told to judge with God’s values.
In 16:23 Jesus did judge by God’s values.
See you all at our house at 5pm 4/21/2007