I think "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) is so important. I tend to see of myself as an upfront – tell it like is – kind of person, but sometimes I think that it is only true in theory. While, I do speak my mind, I don't know if I always speak up when I should. Many times I resist saying what needs to be said for several reasons, including fear, insecurity, and laziness.
I have the impression that most of us understand the reference to "love" in this verse has to do with the manner in which we should speak truth to others. That is a good corrective to me, since I am aware that when I do speak, I can tend to do so too harshly.
But I wonder if speaking in a loving manner might be only one part of what is intended here. Perhaps this is also an encouragement to be motivated by love, which itself has at least two aspects. The first is that speaking truth into people's lives should arise out of love for them. Our motive for speaking should not be selfish, in that our goal should not be to make our lives better, but the other person's.
The other aspect regarding love being our motivator is that love should compel us to speak the truth to others. If I really love people, why would I keep the truth from them? Either I don't really love them or I don't think there is significant value in the truth itself. But if I do love and do know the truth, then speaking that truth to the one I love is the only option I have.
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