Speaking the truth in love has been a phrase that always pertained to impending correction in my mind. I am realizing that there is also a connotation of positivity to be found in the scripture.
Lunch with a friend who shares a September birthday is a tradition that goes back years. It was in the 1990s that we became friends while attending the same church. We’re near in age. We are pretty opposite in personality, but somehow, we connected as sisters and friends. We now have even more in common; she was there when my husband divorced me, and I was there to help her after her marriage ended. We have both lost jobs. Most of all, we share a love for the Lord God Almighty and the desire to grow up to do the work of the Kingdom.
We always talk for at least a couple of hours. We see one another periodically throughout the year so there is always family news to report. More than news, we give each other insight into our deepest thoughts. I realize that we have the kind of friendship that lets us tell the truth of our lives, an opportunity for trust that has built over the years.
The trust is not misplaced; we are free to speak to one another about what is going on in our souls. God gives us wisdom for one another, so we glean a better understanding of what is happening in our emotions. We have learned the lesson to not allow our feelings to rule our lives. Both of us have also had to walk away from teachers who showed their doctrine as incomplete and flawed.
We have not yet fully arrived, but I see clearly that the Lord is maturing us to do more for Him as He calls us to do so. His promise is that as we yield to His plan for us, we will mature and be ready to act when He says act. In the meantime, we encourage one another with our time and words, truly sisters in His love.
Ephesians 4:14-15 And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astray by novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed Head of his body, the church. The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com
Peg – This is so encouraging to me. What a beautifully worded blog! We really do have a beautiful longtime friendship! The flowers are gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing about us.
I love you.
Maggie 😊❤️🤗