In a world that is growing increasingly hostile to the true gospel, I find myself tempted to compromise. It is like a centripetal force pulling me in with the movement of my environment. The crazy part is, I find myself wanting to shroud that compromise in religious language.

I have always prided myself in standing boldly for truth. The problem with me however was that in that posture, I was not loving. God worked on me so much to understand the importance of loving people. He drilled this verse into my heart: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15 NIV84). In the last several years, I have grown so compassionate toward people. I find myself having empathy for people that I would have one time judged. I have often remarked that I don't know who I am anymore, I am just so 'nice'.  It is foreign to the old me. Don't get me wrong, I am glad for the softness I have found in my heart. I am glad that I see the fruit of love but it does leave me worried. This culture does not know love. What if I am confused too? I have seen that no matter how much I am trying to have a biblical view of an issue, I am still affected by culture's sway. When I was wielding truth like a weapon, I felt safe. It felt good to know I was absolutely right. But this love thing, it feels dangerous. Have I become so familiar with it that I too have lost the biblical definition of love? Have I lost the difficult kind of love that speaks the truth compassionately, even when it hurts? Have I grown afraid of boldness? Am I loving God and pleasing him with my love or am I living a compromised faith that is culturally approved? I don't know. Not for sure. But I do know that I have a burning desire for my love for people to be married to truth so that I don't confuse them with approval calling it love. Jesus love for us was so dangerous and so full of integrity. He never compromised truth in the name of love, yet he never wielded truth in a way that sacrificed love. I want to live like that.