What if silence is the cruelest thing you could offer someone?

In Galatians 2, when Apostle Peter came to Antioch in the days of the early church, he ate freely with Gentile believers. That is, until the staunch Jewish crowd showed up. Then he pulled back and separated himself from the Gentiles, pretending the old dividing wall of the law still stood. He didn’t want to look bad in front of the Jews.

Apostle Paul, who was watching the situation, could have kept quiet or could have confronted him secretly. But Paul chose a more direct way. He confronted Peter to his face, in front of everyone, because too much was at stake. Everybody needed to hear what he had to say.

Why did Paul confront Peter like that? It wasn’t because he was angry. No, it was because he loved the church more than he loved the peace of the moment. Peter’s behavior wasn’t just awkward. It was leading others astray. Even Barnabas, who was with Paul, got swept up in it. It was dangerous.

Beloved, real love doesn’t look the other way when someone you care about is walking toward a cliff. Silence would be the cruelest thing you could offer them. No, real love says something. Real love speaks. Not to embarrass. Not to win. But because the truth of the gospel is worth protecting. And so is the person in front of you.

Who in your life needs you to love them enough to not be quiet and to tell them the truth?

Change begins in you!