Walking with the Wise #227: The Truth Hurts

“The ear that listens to life-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.”
—Proverbs 15:31

The truth hurts, or at least it should. God’s Word is truth and we are to be sanctified by it (cf. John 17:17), which is to say, it should set us apart, tell us about who we are and what we need to do to follow Him. Or as the author of Hebrews wrote,

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”—Hebrews 4:12.

And as Paul wrote,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work”—2 Timothy 3:16-17.

It is the Word of God whereby we learn who God is, who we are, and the dilemma we are in because of our sin. It is the Word of God who points us to the cure of our fatal condition—Jesus Christ, whom died for us, and rose again from the dead, showing us how we can consider ourselves “crucified with Christ” (cf. Galatians 2:20), “dead to sin,” (cf. Romans 6:11), who have been given the Spirit of God so that God might grow up His Son in us, and how we might let the resurrection life of Jesus come out through us.

Living for God then means listening when other, godlier people than ourselves, speak truth into our life. Listening to them and following their way of life (cf. Hebrews 13:7) will show us how to live a life God blesses. Are you listening to others when they care enough to tell you the truth even when it hurts? Are you willing to heed their counsel and do what it is they are telling you to do? Many of them have learned by experience which way is best. They bear the wounds on their souls, scars from sin and disobedience, whereby God taught them which way is best. They were chastised and brought to repentance, and now endeavor to “teach transgressors Your ways” so that sinners will turn to Him (cf. Psalm 51:13).

May each of us have ears that hear (cf. Matthew 11:15) and hearts that are ready to respond to do whatever is necessary to follow God! May we not be deceived by our hearts that are desperately sick, but may we listen to the life-giving rebukes of the Word of God spoken through godly followers who care enough to speak the truth to us, even when it hurts, for God’s glory and our joy. Amen.