Difficult Conversations

Read Galatians 2:1-16

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.” (Galatians 2:11)

Thoughts… There was an elephant in the room, and someone needed to point it out. Never being one to shy away from difficult conversations, Paul was just the guy to do it. So he confronted Peter, the great Apostle, boldly, unequivocally, and publicly.

Peter had gotten caught up in trying to impress certain followers of Christ who were quite legalistic in their approach to faith. They were still following many of the Jewish customs in their lives and in their worship. Peter, who himself preached the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith, and was not only preaching it but was practicing it, now reverted back to his old ways, acting like one of the Jewish Christians right in front of the Gentile Christians. This was pure hypocrisy and it sent a dangerous message to both the Jewish and Gentile believers—that observance of the Law was still necessary to faith.

So Paul took Peter on, and rebuked him to his face for all to see and hear. The message was clear, and effective. And it was needed!

We would do well to learn how to have difficult conversations. Rather than being so “nice” that we allow destructive words or actions to slip under the radar, we must be loving and courageous enough to confront with love and courage. There are times when so much is at stake that not to do so becomes sin on our part and will lead to untold damage in the lives of others who need to be directed by our words.

So how should one go about having these kinds of conversations? First, we need to make sure that what needs to be confronted rises to the level of moral wrong and is not merely a disagreement over personal preferences. Second, if possible, we need to have the conversation with the offending party in private. Third, the confrontation needs to be public if it has created a public perception that the wrong behavior is acceptable. Fourth, the conversation needs to be bold, but graceful, and done to bring reformation and reconciliation about. Finally, when we confront, we need to confront with solutions in mind. We need to be ready to be the solution in any difficult conversation we’ve been called to have.

Difficult conversations should be rare, but when they are called for, be committed to speak the truth in love. Someone’s eternity may be riding on it.

Prayer… Lord, give me the courage to love people enough to confront them when it is the only way that they will grow into the character of Christ. Help me to be ready to speak the truth in love, with humility, and always seasoned with grace.

One More Thing… “Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless.” — Francis Schaeffer