Truth Served with Grace
As the dentist pressed the button to lean my chair back, my imagination began to run wild. Thoughts of whatchamacallits and thingamabobs sent my mind racing to the destruction that would soon ensue in my mouth. In a nervous mumble I told him, “I’m feeling a bit anxious about this procedure.” He quipped back, “The Bible tells us we should be anxious for nothing!” I’m sure he was referencing Philippians 4:6-7 which states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Although I knew he was right, the manner in which the message was presented felt off-putting. I went from feeling anxious to feeling confused and frustrated at his less than empathetic tone of voice. Pondering this unpleasant experience with this dentist, I began to think about us as Christians. How many times do we present truth in an off-putting way? Do we close off the hearts of the hearers when we deliver God’s truth in a harsh manner?
Let’s say I wanted to host a nice Sabbath evening dinner to welcome the Sabbath with others. I decorated, cleaned, set the table, prepared the food, and made the space feel like a warm and inviting place for all those who would attend this special Sabbath dinner. When the preparation phase was finished and guests began to arrive, I greeted them with a warm smile and a friendly “Happy Sabbath.” After the initial small talk, the hungry guests gathered around the table eager to eat the delicious smelling food. Suddenly, instead of serving the food nicely on their plates, I began to throw it at all the guests and screamed, “Eat it!” Do you think my guests would still have the desire to eat? Regardless of how delicious the food looked or smelled, the way I presented the food was quite disturbing.
This example might seem unfathomable and extreme, but many times we do the same thing when presenting the precious truths of the Bible. We might be the faulty tools who inhibit the Gospel from reaching the hearts of those searching. Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” So, here is my question for all of us. Do we want to throw the food at our guests, or do we want to serve it to them?
Esther is currently working as the sexual and domestic violence therapist at the domestic violence shelter near Andrews University. She has her master's in clinical mental health counseling and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Andrews University. She is a pastor's wife and mother to two daughters. Esther has been married to her husband, Ruben, for over 15 years.