Doctors provide bitter medicine coated with sugar. For children, medicine could be mixed with honey and given. That principle is applied in spiritual life too. Paul urges disciples to speak truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) Every disciple should have clear understanding of truth, should not compromise or dilute the truth. However, Paul exhorts us to speak truth in love.
1) Truth spoken: All disciples are expected to speak the truth.
2) Truth and Grace: Lord Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth and so should disciples be. (John 1:14)
3)Truth without hate: Most people do not know how to separate ideas or opinions or concepts from a person. Instead of correcting the wrong ideas, they attack the person. God loves sinners but hates sin. In the same way, we should love people, but hate all untruth, false hood and fake news. Many doctrinal fights cannot be resolved because of this personality clash.
4) Truth without anger: Parents do the mistake of speaking the truth in anger to children. This happens in workplace also. We should let the anger diminish or disappear and then only speak the truth.
5) Truth without bitterness: Some people always speak out of their bitter experiences. Some are bitter against people or a group of people or a race or a nation. This bitterness could block the acceptance of truth.
6) Truth without selfishness: There are many who speak the truth, not for the sake of hearers, but for the benefit of themselves. With selfish motive they present the truth, taking advantage of the situation.
Do I present truth in love?