“Confront Them — In Love!”
Title: BALANCING TRUTH AND LOVE
Ephesians 4:15 teaches us to “speak the truth in love”, which means confronting others with the right attitude and for the right reasons. Love sometimes requires correction, but it must be done wisely, gently, and only in matters that truly matter. Constantly correcting others can damage relationships and credibility, but ignoring serious issues can also lead to harm.
When Should You Confront Someone?
Before confronting someone, consider these key questions:
1. Is it important?
If their actions involve destructive habits, abusive behavior, doctrinal errors, or anything that could cause harm, confrontation is necessary. Love does not ignore dangers that can hurt someone’s life or faith.
2. Is it a pattern?
If the issue is repetitive rather than a one-time mistake, it may require intervention. Love takes action when a person continues down a harmful path.
3. Do you have the right to speak?
If you don’t have a close relationship with the person, your correction might not be well received. But if you are someone they trust, your words will carry weight and be seen as genuine concern rather than judgment.
How to Confront in Love
Paul describes love’s characteristics in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, showing us how to approach correction:
1. Love is not rude.
Correction should be done with kindness, not harshness or aggression.
2. Love is not self-seeking.
Confrontation should not be about proving a point, but about genuinely helping the other person.
3. Love is not easily angered.
People may react negatively to correction, but love remains patient and calm, knowing that the right medicine can be bitter at first.
4. Love keeps no record of wrongs.
If you hold on to past offenses, you will confront others with a spirit of judgment rather than love. Let go of past hurts before addressing someone’s actions.
Conclusion
Confronting others is sometimes necessary, but it should always be done in love, with the goal of building them up rather than tearing them down. When correction is delivered with patience, kindness, and sincerity, it becomes a tool for growth rather than a source of division. True love does not avoid difficult conversations—it speaks the truth, but always with grace.