Daily Devotions - Speaking Truth

2 Corinthians 7:2-16  (NIV)
Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. 5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me so that my joy was greater than ever. 8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point, you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

 

Have you ever been confronted with a wrong you have done by someone who loves you?

 

Sin is destructive. Some sin is more destructive than others but it all separates us from You. Our sinful behavior and the language we use everyday could not only be hurting our relationship with others, but it is damaging our relationship with You. We sometimes become callused and don't even notice that we are sinning anymore.  It is not until someone mentions our sin that it shocks us to awakening. What matters is how we respond. You have placed Godly people in our lives to help us stay on Your path and to transform our sinful habits. We all mess up at times but when we recognize it and repent, You forgive us. It is easy to see sin in other people and dismiss or justify our own sin. It is hard to confront sin. But to turn a blind eye to sin and corruption can also be harmful and destructive. Help me to not be judgmental but encourage those I care for to recognize Your desires for them. Give me the grace and courage to speak Your Words of love to help others turn closer to You. I pray that sincere love for each other drives us to You by transforming our hearts. Thank You for Godly people who are able to speak Your truth. Help me to hear Your voice through Godly people who correct me. When it is spoken to me, allow me to earnestly and eagerly make changes to bring me closer to You. Transform me by identifying those sins that distract me from You and create me into a person who You are able to use in powerful ways. Amen