I really don’t like confrontation. I usually cry through it and I ALWAYS cry after. The Lord knows all of this, of course, and how He shepherds me through situations and relationships is amazing. He’s always showing me different views of confrontation, giving me a better understanding of His love at work, if you will. Today I’m pondering the kindness of Truth and His role in confrontation.
John 14:4-6 HCSB
“You know the way to where I am going.”
“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going.
How can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Ah, Thomas, my brother from another mother. This passage takes on new meaning for me this morning. That is the question I ask God every time the Spirit nudges me to say something to someone: “Where are You going with this? How can I speak when I don’t know where You’re going?!”
I see tears or screaming and yelling when I picture confronting someone with a word of correction. I expect the absolute worst. But here Jesus says that HE is the way, the truth, and the life. So if the Holy Spirit gives me something to say, He’s not just giving me something; He’s giving me Someone. And when I obey, then I’m giving Someone, too.
Likewise when I’m confronted and chastened, to receive the correction is to receive Christ. Not to become more like Him! No, to receive “the truth” is to receive Jesus. I am ever approaching this life as doctrinal, and He is ever crooking me back into relationship with Himself.
Viewed in this light, I see Spirit-led confrontation as an intimate gift of true friendship and love. The relationships I value most in my life are those forged in the fires. When the chips are down, I’m going to turn to the ones who loved me enough to give me the gift of Truth.
P.S. To our spiritually mature readers: my apologies for my frequent use of basic and foundational scriptures. God is unscrambling the egg in my head that says if I once memorized a verse then I know what it means. I grew up in the church, giving the Lord years of AWANA and Sunday school lessons to address. I was also a Bible Quiz Team winner . . . so this could take a while. Your patience and prayers are so very appreciated!
I agree with what both of you are saying… I see it like this: we are climbing a spiral ladder, constantly on our way up and ever learning Christ anew!! (I grew up in church… Looking back I can see that my faith was more about something, only recently has it become more and more about Someone!!!) Watching our eggs being unscrambled is the most exciting thing!!
Oh Jennifer no apologies I believe that this is what God is doing in all of us! It is a time of unlearning, of opening our eyes, and being born anew/renewed in what we thought we knew. I find it difficult to even talk to others b/c it sounds like the old meaning/old understanding b/c the words/scriptures are the same but it is totally new. It is the difference b/w what was once believed as truth and is now revealed as truth. One sounded true but did not bring life, light and love.
I have my head all full of unscrambled eggs. I am not pretty with those all over, but it seems He likes the idea.
Love!