Real Relationships

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

REAL RELATIONSHIPS

2 Cor 7:8-10

8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

NIV

This is but half of the total statement but it is worth stopping short in order to disguise what is said so far. Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes we are not willing to listen to the truth because it hurts and we want to protect ourselves from pain, anguish and sorrow. As we can see here that the only kind of correction or instruction which is worth receiving is the Godly kind. Being corrected about something worldly brings sorrow that leads to death. But being corrected by the truth of God brings repentance which leads to life. So we should be open to being corrected if needed. This also leads us to being responsible to do some Godly type correcting when others need it. It would appear we all have that responsibility to each other. So why do we resist doing both? Why do we refuse to listen as well as talk when it is needed? Do we think we live in a cocoon, isolated from our fellow believers? Do we actually think we should be able to conduct ourselves according to our own personal beliefs? Do we think others have that right as well? When we are in the wrong we should be open to being told, as well as telling others when they are acting wrongly. Now how we say what needs to be said makes all the difference. If we speak judgmentally or out of a self-righteous, or a selfish and jealous motive we have no business speaking because in fact we are conducting ourselves in a wrong manner which should require correction as well. When we speak any words of correction, although it is the truth, we should speak from a heart of love. If we see what we have said causes hurt, we might feel a little regret, as Paul did, yet we should not if the listener repents because of it. Surely we should not intend to cause sorrow in another’s life, unless of course it is what God intended. And when we are corrected and feel sorrowful because of it, we should be able to see that is what God intended in us. Once again it comes down to relationships that are real, not those phony surface types based on “Hi, how you doing”, “Great, and you”, “Couldn’t be better.” No we need real relationships.