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The Truth is in the Mirror

Last Friday I posted a story about a meal with my kids. Luke (8 years old) forgot his manners. Jacie (10 years old) called him out. Luke (still 8 years old) did not like it. It was a good time and you can read about the details here.

As funny as I though Jacie's comment was, I did feel bad for my son. After all, he already has to live with two sisters. That's not easy. I know this all too well. (Feel free to comment, sisters.) But he had just been called out cold on something that he already finds frustrating.

Shouldn't we all be able to sympathize? Or maybe you're some super person that enjoys having others call out your faults. Perhaps you're the type of person who enjoys sitting around while others list, in detail, all the things about you which annoy them.

Oh, you're not one of those types of people?

Maybe we don't have to enjoy it, but I think we should expect it. And, in our experiences, it won't be somethig relatively harmless like talking with food in your mouth. I'm talking about sin here.


If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. ~Matthew 18:15-17


I don't know about you, but that sounds like a lot of talking about faults with people. It sounds like a lot of people pointing our faults out. Facts are facts. We will slip up. We will fall. When we do, we need family to be around to help us out.

In order to help us, truth has to be told. Guess what? If food is falling out of our mouth while we tell a story, then it is up to our brothers and sisters to hold up a mirror. Let the truth be told.

When is the last time you appreciated someone telling you about a fault? If you didn't appreciate it at the time, how long did it take to appreciate it?
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