Beloved, I say this with love in my heart and concern for your soul: not every word that comforts is from God, and not every truth that stings is from the enemy. Sometimes, the voice that unsettles us the most is the one we need to hear. In a world obsessed with applause, God still calls His children to love truth not applause.
Truth has never been popular. From the days of the prophets to the ministry of Yeshua, those who spoke God’s Word plainly were rarely applauded. They were rejected, misunderstood, even hated—not because they lacked love, but because they would not compromise. We must remember: truth is not the enemy of love—it is the foundation of it.
Paul’s warning to Timothy was not a prediction for a distant generation; it is our reality: “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3, NASB). Many today gather in crowds to hear what pleases them, but few sit at the feet of Jesus to hear what purifies them.
As a shepherd who longs to see you grow in grace and walk in fullness, I plead with you—do not despise the voice that confronts your sin. Do not run from the correction of the Lord. Every pruning, every rebuke, every uncomfortable truth is an act of holy love. Our Father disciplines those He receives as sons (Hebrews 12:6, NASB). To be corrected is not to be cast out—it is to be drawn in.
If a doctor saw cancer in your body but withheld the diagnosis to spare your feelings, would you call that love? No. It would be cruelty disguised as kindness. And yet this is what many pulpits offer—harmless words while sin quietly devours the soul. Beloved, the Word of God is not sentimental—it is surgical. It cuts in order to heal, wounds in order to restore.
“For the word of God is living and active and full of power… piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit… exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, AMP). When you read His Word and feel conviction, do not harden your heart. Fall to your knees. Let the Great Physician do His work.
There is a tenderness in truth that only those who love God can recognize. Yeshua never spoke to impress; He spoke to save. When He looked at the rich young ruler and said, “Sell everything you own,” it was not a cruel demand—it was an invitation into freedom. But the young man walked away, clinging to comfort instead of clinging to Christ (Matthew 19:16–22). What will you choose?
As your brother in the Lord, I urge you: let go of the need to be liked. Release the addiction to approval. Seek the face of God, not the applause of men. The path of obedience may be lonely at times, but it is paved with peace, joy, and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. The crowd may never understand, but your Shepherd will never leave your side.
When Jeremiah tried to hold back the Word of the Lord, he could not. “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones… I cannot hold it in” (Jeremiah 20:9, NASB). That is what happens when we love truth more than comfort. We burn with it. We ache to speak it. And we find that in the end, truth does not isolate—it liberates.
So, dear one, ask God for a heart that welcomes His truth. Surround yourself with voices who speak it, even when it cuts. Open His Word not only for promises, but for correction. For “the wounds of a friend are faithful” (Proverbs 27:6, NASB), and there is no greater Friend than the One who laid down His life to rescue you from lies.
Let my lips not speak the flattery of fools,
Nor my heart chase the praise of the proud.
Teach me to rejoice in rebuke, O God,
And tremble before the words of Your mouth.
For Your truth alone is my safety and light.
Prayer
Abba Father, we come as children who often resist what is good for us. Break the power of people-pleasing in our hearts. Deliver us from soft lies and lead us into the light of Your Word. Teach us to love truth even when it is hard, and to trust Your voice above every other. Speak to us clearly, lovingly, and directly—and give us the courage to obey without delay. Let Your truth dwell richly within us, transforming us day by day. In the name of Yeshua, the Faithful and True One, amen.
⸻