"Therefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truthfully with his neighbour, for we are members of one another." – Ephesians 4:25 (MEV)
The Bible tells all who believe to stop telling lies in reverence to Christ. We who are called God's children should be holy in our conduct, and this includes how we speak and what we say. We should be honest.
While honesty is good and fitting for Christ-followers, we all have to learn the art of speaking that truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). It's not enough for us to be honest, open, and transparent. We should also be graceful and tactful with our words so that the truth we communicate would edify others and lead them closer to Christ.
Seasoned With Grace
In Colossians 4:5, we are told to "walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, wisely using the opportunity."
Paul says that in doing this, "let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you should answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)"
The New Living Translation gives us another practical interpretation of what this means:
"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."
Basically, we Christians are told to practice wisdom with our words. Our conversations should be free from any deceit and falsehood, and abounding in grace, wisdom, and God's goodness.
Moreover, we are also told, "Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse joking, which are not fitting. Instead, give thanks" (Ephesians 5:4).
Our conversations should be full of things that glorify God, edify our fellow Christ-followers, and bless those who hear them.
How To Speak The Truth In Love
So now we go to the main question articulated in the title of this article. How do we speak the truth in love? Simple. We speak in all honesty, saying what we ought to say using the right words, and speaking at the right time.
When we speak the truth in love, we don't try to sugar-coat things. We don't try to mask what we are saying with lies or boasts (see James 3:14). We don't try to exaggerate, falsify, or use misleading words. We don't even communicate using half-truths. We always pass on the whole truth.
Speaking the truth in love simply means saying what you really need to or want to say in such a way that it edifies instead of pulls down, builds up rather than destroys, and clears up confusion rather than add to it. We literally speak the truth, backed by the motive of love.
Let's all learn to speak the truth in love.
