ODJ: painful truth
September 12, 2011
I have sinned against the Lord (v.13).
READ: 2 Samuel 12:1-25
My 4-year-old son and I were watching television when we saw a commercial for skin cream. A woman’s face appeared and then the camera zoomed in, revealing a rather serious set of crow’s feet. But it didn’t stop there. Computer animation gave us a peek beneath the surface of her skin—into her very pores. Finally, they showed the wrinkle cream doing its thing. My son looked over at me and said, “Mom, you should get some of that.” After considering his comment, I consulted the mirror and thought, “He’s right.”
Sometimes God uses people close to us to point out our flaws, even though “honest words can be painful” (Job 6:25). David had to endure an uncomfortable confrontation when the prophet Nathan said, “You have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife” (2 Samuel 12:9). David’s consequences for the sin? A rebellious household (v.11), public disgrace (v.12), and personal loss (v.14).
During the gut-wrenching discussion, David didn’t say much. In fact, Nathan spoke more than seven times the number of words that David did. David listened more than he talked, and he never defended his actions or became angry with Nathan for speaking painful—but honest—words. In the end, the king admitted, “I have sinned against the Lord” (v.13).
The Bible says that “wounds from a sincere friend are better than kisses from an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). If God has placed someone in your life who is willing to challenge you about your spiritual shortcomings, take a lesson from David. Listen carefully—without getting mad—to God’s messenger, and admit your mistake. Then, like David, you can ask God to remove the stain of your guilt, and joyfully sing of His forgiveness (Psalm 51:9,14). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
When was the last time someone pointed out some painful truth to you? How did you respond? Why is it sometimes most difficult to confront people close to us about their spiritual shortcomings?
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