Have you ever been asked to do something you didn’t feel qualified to do—something you felt that God was asking you to do? I usually feel this way in the midst of a hard conversation. The moment truth-telling becomes necessary or when I feel compelled to speak to someone who has hurt me, I especially sense the nudging of God. I feel unqualified to do what He wants—to speak the truth in love in the hopes of winning the other person back (Matthew 18:15; Ephesians 4:15).
It’s probable that the prophet Amos felt unqualified for the work to which God called him. He was neither a “professional prophet” nor had he ever trained to be one (Amos 7:14). He was just a shepherd and tree farmer from Tekoa, a nothing-special, dot-on-the-map kind of town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem (Amos 1:1). Yet God called him to speak His truth during an “evil time” of injustice, immorality, and idolatry (Amos 2:6-8, Amos 5:4-5, Amos 5:10-13). He was even called to prophesy against the ruler of Israel, King Jeroboam II (Amos 1:1, Amos 3:1, Amos 7:10-13). How seriously do you think the king took him? He was a second-class citizen crying out against royalty. Talk about a tough assignment!
God has a way of calling people to do hard things even when their abilities or qualifications don’t appear to match the challenge. Consider Moses’ response at the burning bush and Esther’s fear of King Xerxes (Exodus 3:1-11; Esther 4:1-14). Neither felt ready for their speaking engagements.
If you are asked to have a hard conversation with someone, read Amos 9:11-15 again. That same God nudging you to be a truth-teller is a God of restoration. He can use you to help rebuild fallen houses and repair damaged walls (Amos 9:11).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 21:37–22:29
More:
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and consider how real love should guide you during hard conversations.
Next:
When have you had to be a truth-teller? How did God work through that challenging time?
Gary Shultz on November 11, 2015 at 6:54 am
Walking through tension is never too pleasant. Confrontation is easier for some than others, I find it helps to keep my eyes on the hope of a better day ahead. We may even get crushed often, but doing the right thing, the thing God has ask us to, in a humble way, is what we should do. It’s often not some magnanimous deal, many are never called to move way outside their box, but there are “jacks” in the box and we need to be ready to respond, hopefully kindly and truthfully at some point. Thanks
Andy Rogers on November 16, 2015 at 10:56 am
“Keep my eyes on hope.” — Thank you for this reminder, Gary. The specific instance behind the veiled references in this article seemed pretty hopeless at the time. Thanks for the reminder to stay focused on hope. God can do amazing things, right? 🙂
Mike Wittmer on November 11, 2015 at 7:12 am
I think we all need to hear this from time to time. Speaking the hard truth when we would rather run away is a sure sign that we love the person.
Tom Felten on November 11, 2015 at 9:45 am
Andy, from my experience some difficult but powerful times of growth have occurred as I’ve had hard conversations with those who have hurt me or those I’ve hurt. Yes, the key is to the speak the truth in love. Not simply saying what will cover the situation or make the pain go away, but what is truly best for the other person. May the Holy Spirit guide us as we strive to live out this principle!
Andy Rogers on November 16, 2015 at 10:58 am
Thanks for the encouraging words, Tom. 🙂