Lessons in Truth Telling

I’ve been a Jesus follower for a long time. There are many lessons that I have learned and relearned, forgotten and then discovered anew. Sometimes in the middle of an “aha” moment I think, “But I already knew this! How did I get tripped up again?” Each time, there is a new bit of wisdom – something revealed at a deeper level. It’s like one of those circular ramps in the corner of a parking deck that go around and around, climbing a bit higher each time.

So, you could say I’m am “old enough to know better.” Add to that being first born and a Type 1 on the Enneagram; let me tell you, my inner critic game is FIERCE. I am able to extend much more Grace to others than to myself, as a rule. (Because, as a good rule follower, I know it is the right thing to do.)

Recently I took a class to discover my specific identity in Christ – the roles are that uniquely mine. It was incredible. One of the first assignments was to build a timeline of our lives on poster board, using sticky notes in two colors. I chose turquoise for pleasant/happy events and pink for pain points.

In the course of the exercise, I realized I had several turquoise moments from various points in my life when God gave me a dream or idea about writing a book. In each instance, there was a “painful pink” sticky note closeby because I hadn’t made it happen.

The class culminated with a personal retreat, so I set off for a local hotel with all my notes, my course book and my poster board. I was nervous that I might not get this part right, so I was praying the whole way there. On the way in from the car, a gust of wind sprang up and off flew a single sticky note – a pink one. I didn’t want to miss out on that “data point,” so I chased after it, slapping my foot against the sidewalk every few yards. I eventually caught it, and peeled it off the bottom of my shoe. “Failure” was being swept away on the breeze.

I took that as God speaking kindly in response to my prayer. He does not look at me and see a failure. Because of Jesus, God looks at me and sees His beloved daughter. He knows right where I am. He assured me that everything needed for any assignment from Him will be found by seeking Him. So, while I may be taking a long, winding path, I haven’t missed the deadline yet.

I flicked “Failure” into the nearest trash can. It was a whole moment.

I learned “forever ago” that Jesus set me free and that my standing in the Kingdom of God is secure because of Christ. But the new realization this time around is that even though I know in my head that I’m free, I have been imprisoned by a “lesser type of condemnation.” I’ve allowed the whispers of my enemy to hold me back. I have let Satan talk me out of things, much like he talked Eve into them. Maybe you can relate to this?

“Did God really say ‘write a book?’ Surely not you. Who would want to read anything you have to say?” “This work you’re doing for your family and your church is more important and you should finish every bit of it before you spend your free time on a dream that you think maybe God gave you.” “Even if you write a book, you won’t follow through on publishing it.” “If you were really supposed to do it, you would have already done it.”

Listen. Jesus is the TRUTH, the way and the life. And he said the TRUTH sets us free. The apostle Paul tells us there is NO condemnation for Christ followers.

When we acknowledge our need for forgiveness, believe in Christ as our savior and commit ourselves to following him, we are new creations. We have a new identity. The enemy whispers lies because he knows we’d be unstoppable if we believed the truth of this new identity – who God says we are based on what Jesus did for us:

Forgiven. Accepted. Vessel of the Holy Spirit. Free. We have freedom from the yoke of sin AND from the condemnation that would hold us back. We need no longer feel weighed down by our humanness, our mistakes, our imperfection, (or even our slowness in learning the lesson and following through).

So, what happened as a result of not being weighed down by “failure?” I’m so glad you asked. God’s kindness continued on my retreat, and I was able to discern 6 specific identity statements. I want to share one of them with you:

I am a BOLD TRUTH TELLER, who intentionally and courageously shares wisdom through written and spoken words in a humble voice that hearts can hear.

When God first gave me these words, I was intimidated. Because, let’s be honest, we all know people who use truth like a weapon while exhibiting little evidence of the fruit of the spirit in their lives. “Speaking truth in love” to one another usually involves pointing out what is wrong. (yes, sometimes, that is exactly what we need!) Lately, though, I have been finding a “next level of the parking deck” aspect of truth telling.

God has brought specific opportunities to use the voice He’s given me to speak the other side of truth. I’ve been able to remind other believers of the truth of their new identity in Christ. I’ve been helping to dispel lies. And the best part? He’s using lessons from the painful seasons in my life to encourage my sisters and brothers. What a sweet blessing to know that pain has a purpose. God is so good!

How much time have I wasted waiting for someone to give me permission to act on the things that Jesus assigned me to do? How long have I waited to feel “ready” to do the things he already told me to do?

Truth is, too much time. But it’s a new day. It can be a new day for you, too. Who’s with me?

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Romans 3:22-24

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8: 31-32 

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Romans 8:1-2

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4