A friend of mine who is a pastor’s wife shares such wisdom in her writings and today’s blog is one of hers that I believe we as pastors’ wives can glean from.
Through the years I’ve learned to be very big on Truth and boundaries. Truth and boundaries protect, teach, and are necessary. Sometimes Truth isn’t easily accepted, even though it’s coupled with love or care. People can treat God’s messengers very poorly. People can treat best friends poorly when they don’t want to hear Truth. People can treat family members poorly when they don’t want to hear Truth.
Tense situations can arise, and here’s where the boundaries come in – you can’t allow someone’s reaction to what is truthful and right destroy you, destroy your peace, destroy your rest and your mind.
When these situations arise, our first inclination is to strike back, to wound someone because they’ve wounded us. But before we do that, I’d like to think for a moment about the purpose of our Truth speaking. We are speaking Truth because we honestly care, honestly love, and are willing to take the risk of approaching a difficult topic with someone. If someone refuses to hear you out or rejects the Truth and departs on their own way, it’s time for us to let it rest, and let God DO the rest.
It’s God who convicts and who executes his discipline, it’s never revenge, He does what he does for his glory alone. God’s sacrifice on cross is for all offenders…me included. He seeks to draw them back to himself so that they might be restored. He has his ways, and at times, I really don’t understand or feel I see this happening in a person’s life.
At times I’d like to speed things up a bit, direct God, give him some pointers, fret about it and be distressed.
But alas, He does His work – in His time, in His ways, and always for His glory.
Here’s something to remember when someone rejects you because you have shared Truth with them. Throughout the years we have sought to behave rightly even though someone else has not, because we too, must answer to God for our behaviors toward others.
Speak the Truth in love and allow the Holy Spirit to take it further. It’s best to let it go and let God. It’s best to continue praying and use healthy boundaries. It’s best to stand true to what is right but realize you can’t make choices for people.
Our peace always rests in God’s care and provision. Our peace always rests in Truth and honor. And we carry this out with healthy boundaries. For us and for others.
Our peace rests in our faith to continue to do right, knowing God will do right, even when revenge would feel so good.
Renee DeMoss
