“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11 NLT)
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” ( 1 Peter 1:22 NKJV)
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT)
The Scriptures are full of directives to love without condition, avoid assuming judgment, and to be an instrument of reconciliation and restoration.They are equally full of directives to reveal truth, expose error, and confront harmful and unacceptable behavior.
Jesus, my mentor and example, never avoided needed confrontation. He knew how to unlock the desired results when confrontation became necessary. The key He used was to ALWAYS love first and most.
Every person, every group, every sect/denomination, and/or religion, holds some degree of truth and some degree of error in what they believe, and how they choose to live. While I do not consider myself to be a universalist, or hold to many of the tenets of ecumenism, I am certainly tired of the efforts being made to divide over differences in life choices, and peripheral doctrine/theology.
As a disciple of Jesus, I am to be known by my love, with reconciliation and unity at the heart of my life and message. While I am in no way advocating a “sloppy agape” that overlooks error, or advocates lifestyles displeasing to my Daddy (my Heavenly Abba Father), I am challenging myself (and those reading this) to be very careful, and prayerful, in confronting others who currently don’t fit into my box.
Do I really want to risk turning someone away from Christ, and the opportunity to experience the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven, for the sake of demanding conformity to my current perspective?
What if I offend someone today, only to wake up tomorrow and, discover that my viewpoint (belief, doctrine/theology, lifestyle) was wrong, or in need of change? Sometimes maturing in Christ means letting go of my childish understanding, and humbly saying I am sorry to the one I offended in my effort to be “right.” If I am going to err, let it be on the side of Grace.
There is an art to loving confrontation, and Jesus was the Master, the DaVinci of confrontation. He confronted sin with grace, error with truth, and behavioral issues by example. He was confrontational in a way that brought conviction and positive change without even a hint of condemnation or shame.
Lord, teach me how to paint with Your brush strokes.
Let’s paint with…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 195: “The Art of Confrontation”