I think there’s a lot of good that could be done in the church if people would be honest with each other. The stereotype of the church being filled with hypocrites is based on reality. I think we would all consider it shameful if we talk righteously in church and then live in an ungodly way, but we don’t consider the small ways we fail to live in truth.

Jesus said, Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3)

How often do we allow offense to go unaddressed because we don’t have the nerve to say anything about it? Instead, we carry it around and let it fester and make us unhappy. If we would be honest about it, we can correct it and move on.

Rebuke does not have to be threatening. In fact, that’s a terrible way to deal with it. If we recognize that love is the motivation for clearing the air, then rebuke is merely pointing out something that happened with honesty. If the other person was unaware of how they offended you, it gives them revelation and a chance to ask forgiveness. If they did know how they offended you, it give them a chance to explain their motivations. (Forgive them anyway.)

The point is, don’t sit on it. Never carry around anything that makes you unhappy or guilty. Clear the air, in a loving and kind way. We are family and we take care of each other, and that means being honest.