As a young man, if I were to name one thing that I disliked more than any other, it would be being told I was wrong. I don’t know of anyone who enjoys being told they are wrong. I guess I have come to dislike this because I, like every other human, have found some sort of identity in making right decisions, choices, and in doing the right thing. When someone told me that I was wrong, or that I had made the wrong decision, it felt like a personal slap in the face, and it immediately evoked the effort of our enemy to make me think the person who told me I was wrong no longer liked me. This may sound quite childish, but for many people this is exactly what happens. Now, looking back over the years of being told I was wrong many times, I’ve realized it was really an act of love, and not a personal slight against me. Oh, I am sure there were people who enjoyed putting me in my place and making sure I knew I was wrong! (Thank God we can forget a lot of our mistakes!) Nevertheless, I must admit that those people in my life who lovingly confronted me have produced much growth, strength and maturity in my life. Usually the “light-bulb” came on and I could clearly see where I had been wrong. I would then make the proper amends and go on in the knowledge of the truth, and the security that others want me to succeed because they love me enough to tell me I am wrong. I once heard a man say, “If we only learn by experience, we are doomed to a life of misery.” How true this statement is! As a new father, if I allowed my 1 year old daughter to learn by experience only, without any guidance or direction on my part, it would be cruelty. Do you think this is the same way God sees it?
When Jesus Christ walked this earth, there were many times He lovingly, but adamantly, told people they were wrong. He called sin what it was….Sin. He didn’t tolerate, and He still doesn’t. In John 3:16-21, we see that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn us, but to save us. In order to reach us, who, according to verse 19 have “loved the darkness rather than the light, because our deeds were evil,” He had to tell us and show us that we were wrong. His exposing of our deeds and showing how evil they are is really an act of love, not condemnation. Knowing this, it forces us to deal with our inadequacy and allow Him to change us. If left to our experiences only, we would all die in our sins with no hope.
In our society today, there is a push for “toleration” of other religions and claims of truth. Our society defines “toleration” as considering others beliefs as true as what we believe, so therefore we don’t have the right to tell them they are wrong. My question is that if we really have the love of Jesus in us, can we not help but lovingly tell people they are wrong and present His truth to them? In I Timothy 4:2 we are encouraged to “Preach the word…correct, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” It breaks my heart that Christians are so afraid to speak to other Christians and non-believers and lovingly tell them that they are wrong. My wish is to encourage you to not leave people to learn only by their experiences! If we have the Answer, then for to us not tell others is an incredible act of cruelty. We must tell them, for they may not get another chance.
