April 6, 2023

Job 15: 4 “But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God.” (NIV)

It won’t always be easy to be gracious and truthful, but it will always be right.*

Are you like Job’s friend Eliphaz? Are your expressions of rightness devoid of compassion? Eliphaz's words are the antithesis of “speak the truth in love.” In this case, is he even right? Is Job guilty of undermining piety and hindering devotion to God, just because he has shared his feelings about what he is going through?

Sometimes, being right is harder than being wrong. 

God has equipped us with emotions, and nowhere in scripture are we told to be ashamed of them. Some emotions, if not properly managed, can lead to sinful behavior, but the initial feelings themselves are not sinful. Neither do we find God condemning us for venting to him when emotions run high – if he did, the book of Psalms would contain a lot fewer chapters!

Helping a friend through an emotional crisis requires careful attention to the landmines and booby traps that lurk in our path. Is it possible to care about her feelings while still holding her accountable for her sin? Can we be gentle and firm at the same time? Can we be right without leaving him or her feeling devastated for being wrong? Pray for wisdom, discernment, and compassion so that God doesn’t say to you, as he did to Eliphaz, “I am angry with you . . . because you have not spoken of me what is right.” (Job 42: 7)

We, as believers, will often need to give up our “right” to be right, for the sake of others.*