“What Should You Do When Speaking the Truth Makes People Turn Against You?” November 6
What do you do when speaking the truth makes people turn against you?
It is one thing to know what Scripture says.
It is another thing to say it when you know someone may become angry, accuse you of being unloving, or distance himself from you because of it.
And sometimes the people who oppose us are not strangers.
They may be friends.
Co-workers.
People in authority.
Or even members of our own family.
Ezekiel understood what it was like to speak truth to people who did not want to hear it.
God described them as hard-hearted and rebellious.
Yet He did not tell Ezekiel to soften the message until it became acceptable.
Instead, He told him:
“Do not be afraid of them.”
And then God promised to make Ezekiel strong enough for the assignment He had given him.
That does not mean we should become harsh, argumentative, or hard-hearted ourselves.
The strength God gives us is the strength to remain faithful while still being humble, gentle, and blameless.
Jesus warned that those who belong to Him should not be surprised when the world responds with hostility.
And Peter knew that lesson personally.
He once became so afraid that he denied even knowing Jesus.
Yet later, he would tell suffering Christians not to fear threats, but to be ready to give an answer with meekness and reverence.
What changed?
And what can his transformation teach us when we are tempted to remain silent?
Today we’ll look at how God strengthens His people to speak truth, why persecution should not surprise us, and how we can remain faithful without becoming fearful, angry, or bitter.
