I saw this statement on social media yesterday. “If you want to help people you tell them the truth. If you want to help yourself you tell people what they want to hear.” I don’t know the original source, but there is a lot of wisdom in it. However, I would add more to it as it applies to the Christian life.
As a son or daughter of God, we must never lie, no matter how much someone wants to hear it. We must stick to God’s word and our own personal experiences, because we know they are true. Paul warned Timothy (2nd Timothy 4:3) not to “scratch their itching ears” with what they want to hear instead of the truth of scripture they need to hear.
On the other hand, when we tell someone the truth because we want to help them, we must take care how and when we do it. We all know someone who likes to beat people over the head with the truth like a weapon, but we must share the truth with love and care.
I have more than 300 friends on Face Book and over the years only one unfriended me for telling him the truth I knew from personal experience that what he posted never happened. His favorite college professor told him it happened so he chose to unfriend me. I asked God in prayer if I could have worded my comment better and the Holy Spirit let me know he was just not ready to accept the truth.
God’s timing and truth are perfect. I rely on the Holy Spirit now to let me know when and what to post or comment. I could flood Face Book with God’s truth and my true experiences these past 81 years, but I would be unfriended by those who can’t handle the truth right now but may allow me to plant small seeds of truth in the future. I ignore the untrue posts without giving them any reaction, while reacting positively to posts about family, work and other things with which we agree. I also pray for their eyes to be opened to God’s truth and the true history I have lived through.