Be Still And Know

Psalm 141:5 This verse reminds us of the Proverb which says: “An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy” (Proverbs 27:5- 6). These words are no doubt wise, but that doesn’t mean it is easy when somebody says something harsh to us, or tells us that we have gone wrong. It might prove to be soothing medicine in the end but, at the time, it can really hurt. In Ephesians 4, Paul reflects on the fact that we all need to become more mature. He was eager that his readers shouldn’t be “blown about by every wind of new teaching” (v14). He was aware of the dangers that came from false teachers whose clever lies sounded like the truth. The antidote to this was for the Church to be a community within which people spoke the truth in love. It sounds simple, but it is often very far from it. Truth has sharp edges and we are sometimes inclined to shrink from sharing it. We would rather take refuge in pleasantries and superficial talk. But if we