Fools rush in...

So, I'm still thinking about the words "speaking the truth in love" and about the importance of having brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to do just that. 

Today I was chatting with a friend and during our conversation, I recalled this quote from me: "The only thing worse than making a fool of yourself is having your friends sit back and watch you do it." I can still recall the situation that birthed these words from my mouth.

I've decided to change the specific details (to protect the innocent, of course), but here's the scenario. I met a guy we'll call Mike and thought we might have potential to be more than just friends. However, due to my "incredible" (NOT) track record in this area of my life, I didn't trust myself to be a good judge of the situation. I asked a few of my friends, who knew Mike better than I did, to tell me if there were any "red flags" that I should be aware of... and they said nothing. Several months later, AFTER Mike and I had ceased to be friends, one of Mike's relatives asked me, "So, do you think Mike is involved with drugs?" (not the real question, just protecting the innocent again). I asked my friends, who I had requested honest feedback from, if they thought that drugs were an issue with Mike. They said, "Well, we weren't sure... we had sort of heard that, but we could be certain... so we thought we'd just keep our mouths shut." WOW. OK, thanks. Glad you've got my back. 

I do understand that they didn't want to spread gossip, but that's not what I'm talking about here. It is different to spread a tale (whether true or false) if the only motive is to get a gasp of shock and an opportunity to talk negatively about someone, so that we can feel better about ourselves. It is another thing all together to make someone aware of a situation they may want to  approach with caution. 

Don't be silent. You never know how your words will be used to bring wisdom and understanding to a situation. You never know how your words may help a friend to avoid a life time of pain and sorrow. Your words have the power to heal, to bring reconciliation, to correct errors... to LOVE.