John 16:6-7
“But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.”
We have all faced situations wherein we did not want to tell someone the truth. There are various reasons for this- usually they are selfish. For instance if someone has gained weight and asks if they “look fat” then the truth might be that they do but we rarely admit this. We usually console ourselves with the thought that telling them they look fat would hurt their feelings but that is not the whole reason. If we were to tell them they did look fat then they would likely be angry with us and insecure around us. That comment, in effect would damage the relationship we have with them to the point of strife. Therefore in order to avoid this, we lie. Another example is when we do something wrong or stupid and when we are confronted, we avoid the truth. This is not really because we don’t want the other person to know the truth it is generally because we don’t want the consequences of them knowing the truth. We would rather them not punish us or think ill of us- so we lie. the final instance wherein we fail to tell the truth is when we know what’s coming and we avoid telling someone because we do not want them to have the reaction that we know they are bound to have. For instance, if we were going to break off a relationship with someone, we might not tell them right away, we might just avoid them, we might cause a fight or make them think somehow that it is their idea. This is really self-preservation- we don’t want to look like the bad guy or be the bearer of bad news even. However, not one of these legitimate sounding reasons is good enough not to tell someone the truth. It is unloving to deceive, to lie, to be a false witness, no matter the circumstance. Jesus so easily and concisely states this concept here in John 16:6-7….. He plainly states that He knows that sorrow has filled the disciple’s hearts because He said He was going away but He told them anyway.
The first takeaway from this lesson should be that we, as image bearers should always tell the truth- even if the truth brings sorrow because that is what Jesus did.
The second takeaway should be that God tells us the truth, not to hurt us, but to prepare and repair us. He will tell us of things to come even when those things do not make us happy so that we can be prepared. He will tell us things that need resolution in our lives even if we don’t want to hear them so that we may bear more fruit. He will tell us things that cause sorrow to fill our hearts and yet He will still tell us. I remember thinking many times that it makes me sorrowful that I will not be married to Heath when I am in heaven, nevertheless Jesus told me the truth. It is up to me to trust that as my savior and my Lord He knows what He is doing, He knows my heart and my needs, and He has already provided for them. Further, I have found sorrow in my heart when I read the Revelation because I don’t want all of those terrible things to happen to the world, it hurts me to think of them, nevertheless, Jesus told me they were coming. He tells me -us- these things to prepare us because He loves us and since He exhibits perfect love, we too must tell those around us of things that will prepare them. We cannot however have a heart that wishes to hurt someone by our words even if they are true. We must always go to God about what we have in your hearts to tell people and ask for His wisdom on when and how to speak the truth. We speak the truth no matter what!
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