Truth or Love? - Crosswalk the Devotional - July 23

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( Truth or Love?by Sarah Phillips Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. - [Ephesians 4:15]( "Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." ~ St. Thomas Aquinas It's a common quote among Christians: "Speak the truth in love." It's also one of the greatest challenges of being Christian. Even those unfamiliar with the Christian [faith]( and this scripture verse battle with balancing truth and love. It is why the "white lie" - a common tactic to avoid sharing unflattering truths to loved ones - is so popular. I recently had a conversation with a Christian struggling with this tension between truth and love. A zealous soul, this Christian is convicted in the truth and concerned that many will die without the truth. His concern, no doubt, is born out of love. But his delivery of the truth often does not reveal love for the recipient. Unsure of how to proceed, and fearful of watering down the truth, he has come to the conclusion that some are called to focus more on love while others are called to focus more on truth. I think this struggling Christian's conclusion hits at the heart of the dilemma. In our broken, splintered natures, we tend to see truth and love as opposing forces - at best, difficult to reconcile. Yet this perception that there is tension between truth and love can prove fatal. Putting truth on one end of the spectrum and love on the other, we are forced into measuring each situation on a linear plane. "Hmmm, should I err more towards the truth end or the love end today?" It only takes a little imagination to see how this approach fails. How many times have we encountered a person that "chose love" and glossed over the truth? We see souls confused and dying in the wake of this person. While "love" may have been the intent, their victims have not been loved. And how many times have we encountered a person who spat cruel words in the name of truth? While illumination (or perhaps justice) was the goal of this person, we clearly see that those left in their wake have bitter souls, scarred and blinded to the truth. Ultimately, Scripture reveals that God is both Truth and Love. If this is the case, the two cannot be contradictory or incompatible. So where does that leave us? [CONTINUE READING →]( You May Also Like: [10 Cliques That Exist in Every Church]( Lindsey Brady A clique is merely a group of people who bond over similar interests. I don't know about you, but I'm all for people making friends; however, where cliques get their notoriously lousy rap is from how difficult it can be for outsiders to get into the group. That is where the problem lies. [CONTINUE READING →]( [10 Things Christians Shouldn't Say When Someone Dies]( Beth Ann Baus We should picture our loved ones bowing before the throne of God with every tongue, tribe, and nation. We should picture them in Paradise doing what they were created to do: glorifying God and enjoying Him forever! [CONTINUE READING →](                       Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                       Who was instructed to make bread from wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and fitches? A. A widow of Sarepta B. Daniel C. Elijah D. Ezekiel [ANSWER THE QUESTION →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](