My mom has 2 sisters and 1 brother. She is the 2nd youngest of the siblings. My grandparents were married over 50 years before my grandfather passed away (right at 60, I believe). I have 1 sister and 4 cousins. So there was always a good size crowd at family dinners or holidays. We were a close family. I am the oldest grandchild by 2 years. Then 3 were born in August of the same year. There must have been a cold winter or a long power outage or a bunch of rain in Florida 9 months before then! Anyway, then a few years later the last 2 were born. The 6 cousins got along OK most of the time. There were 3 boys and 3 girls, so the teams were even. However, like most kids there was always a little mischief. Things got broken, feelings got hurt, explosions, small fires, and people got tied up and left behind the barn…you know, little things. Like most kids, the other 5 never knew anything when they were interrogated by the adults. I on the other hand would go ahead and give it up, and usually in great detail. The problem was that I was usually the “most guilty”. I just didn’t like there to be any lingering consequences. I would rather face the punishment at the time and move on. Admirable quality, right? I mean aren’t we supposed to tell the truth? Friends and family actually valued my opinion because I gave them the truth, at least my perspective of the truth. I could have open and honest discussions with people. If I had an issue or disagreement with someone, I could go to them and tell them how I felt and listened to their concerns and we went back about our business.

As I got older and entered adulthood, I noticed that things didn’t seem to work the same way. Somehow the virtue of speaking the truth was not as celebrated as it was when I was younger?!? I must disclose that I sometimes tend to be a wee-bit harsh. To be honest the harshness comes from holding back the truth too long and the crack in my filter bursts and then it all spills out. When I worked at Skinner’s, there was a saying that everyone used “Truth over Harmony”. Everyone used it but only a few meant it! The senior leadership meant it, but not all of the middle management. People would ask a question and when they got the truth, they wanted the harmony part. Differences of opinion, disagreements and issues are going to arise in our lives. We are going to be asked our opinion on subjects and we owe it to them to give them the truth. If we water down, filter or sugar coat the truth too much, we are doing a huge disservice to that person. It is OK to disagree. It is OK to not like someone’s idea. It’s ok to let someone know that they aren’t doing a good job at something. We are supposed to love and respect each other. Respect them enough to tell them the truth and love them enough to do it appropriately! Have the conversation that needs to happen. They may not be happy at the moment, but it is far better to not have doubt or hostility hanging over the situation. Doubt, fear, hostility and awkwardness can be imprisoning! The truth will set you free.

God loved us enough to tell us the truth. He let us know that we are lying, self-centered, prideful sinners. We were imprisoned in our own filth. He sent his Son to save us. And that is THE TRUTH that we all have to tell!

John 3:16-21