August 31, 2026 Devo

One of the discoveries I’ve made in leadership along the way is that it’s really hard for many people to speak the truth. Especially if they think that someone is going to be mad or hurt. I’ve sat in meetings where everyone knows what the problem is or WHO the problem is, but no one wants to say it. I’ve had people come to me with “concerns” and dance around the issue until I’ve had to stop them and say, “Can you please just tell me what your concern is?” Have you ever experienced that? One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 24:26, which says, “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” Yes, it is!
Please hear my heart on this. I’m not saying we are to be rude, intentionally offensive, or insensitive. But I do believe we are called to “speak the truth in love.” People who speak the truth help us grow. People who speak the truth keep us from making big mistakes. People who speak the truth sometimes help us hear what God is trying to tell us, but we are not hearing. In the end, people who speak the truth are respected a whole lot more than people who simply tell us what they think we want to hear.
Truth-telling was the command that God gave Ezekiel as he sent him out to be His Spokesperson. God was going to say some hard things through Ezekiel. They wouldn’t be things that the people wanted to hear, but it would definitely be things they NEEDED to hear! God told Ezekiel on the front end that people can be tough, and they may not heed a word he says. But Ezekiel’s responsibility wasn’t to make the people obey. His job wasn’t to get the people to agree or to commit to change. His job was simply to speak the truth as God gave it to him. After that, it was between the people and God.
O people, speak the truth — to your spouse, to your team, to your family, to your church, or to your friends. If God gives you insight and understanding, speak it. Say it with love. Say it with humility. Say it with concern and conviction. They don’t have to accept it. They don’t have to believe it. They don’t have to act on it. None of that is up to you. But your job as a messenger of God who loves them is to say it. Oh yes, and one more thing. If someone speaks the truth to you, do yourself a favor and LISTEN. It may be God trying to get your attention. That’s God’s Word for you today.