DAY 17
I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Galatians 4:12-20 NIV
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV
Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
Proverbs 27:6 NIV
but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Teachability is an incredible trait and we need wisdom to steward it well—to know who the right voices are to listen to .
I would encourage you to look at the people in your life and ask yourself, “Who would tell you what you need to hear, not what you would want to hear?”, as uncomfortable as that may be. We need people in our lives that will speak the truth in love, that have no other motivation than to see us grow and kick goals in life. It might be a friend, a family member, a pastor, a leader or a boss.
In Galatians 4:16, Paul challenges the Galatians with teachability. Many people in the Galatian Church had treated Paul like an enemy because he told them the truth.
It might hurt to hear the truth, but as it says in Proverbs, ‘Wounds from a friend can be trusted’. (NIV)
I’d encourage you to ask this person in your life for feedback and not be defensive (as tempting as it is) and listen clearly and carefully.
We need people in our lives that will make us better.
Question
Who is someone that you look up to? How can you ask them for feedback to help you grow?