In today’s world, we are facing a number of national and global crises that are causing pain, suffering, and hopelessness for millions of people. Leaders who dedicate themselves to speaking the truth have never been more important than now. As Cornel West, an American philosopher who attended Princeton University and Harvard University, said, “There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie.”
Sometimes we must stop and ask ourselves, “what will it cost me to speak the truth about a situation? Remember that a life lacking lack of truthfulness can hinder your spiritual growth and God’s plans for you.” God’s blessings in your life blossom when you control what you say and how you speak to others. A proverb from the Bible says, “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
Leadership benefits from individuals in the organization who can see things from multiple angles. However, before you take your concerns to your supervisor, make sure they are factual and true. It is always wise to seek several opinions on how to best speak truth to someone in power, and to be prepared for a reaction.
It is never wise to be silent in the face of injustice and oppression. However, it is also not wise to lash out in anger or throw stones at those who are bent on oppressing you. You cannot fly off the handle whenever you feel like it. You must become sensitive to God’s spirit. If God tells you to say nothing, then you must stand there quietly, even if it means letting someone think they are right when you know they are not.
The Bibles tells a story about Joshua, a successful businessman in Rome who found faith in God and shared the gospel with his employees. Many of them believed and asked Joshua to share the good news with their families. He did and he began to tell others. Joshua was a leader in the process of making disciples. He did this by communicating God’s love through an established network of social relationships. This movement would eventually become the most widespread faith and force on earth.
In the Bible, truth is reality in relation to the vital interests of the soul. It is primarily something to be realized and done, rather than something to be learned or known. The psalmist desires to walk in God’s truth, but the sum of God’s word is truth. So, let us speak truth to power. And Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
