Truth That Frees
Insights From Vacation Bible School
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
The Playground “Compliment”
“Well, I told him I liked him,” Bubba explained, “but I also told him he smelled bad and looked funny in those clothes.”
It was one of those Bubba moments that left the room spinning somewhere between laughter and disbelief.
Miss Marla didn’t scold him. She just said, “Bubba, love doesn’t hide behind a ‘but.’”
That silenced the giggles.
She went on to tell us about love — real love — the kind that doesn’t flatter with one hand and wound with the other. The kind that speaks truth with grace, not instead of it.
Then she quoted Proverbs 27:6:
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
At six years old, I didn’t get it.
At sixty, I’m still learning it.
The Truth After the “But”
Ever noticed how we sandwich our real thoughts behind a “but”?
“I love you, but…”
“I’m not mad, but…”
“You’re doing great, but…”
We soften the start so the blow feels justified.
But here’s the problem: everything after the “but” cancels what came before it.
Truth is not something we hide behind excuses — it’s something we deliver in love.
For years, I avoided hard truths to keep the peace. I confused kindness with silence.
But truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.
It’s both or neither.
Jesus embodied both perfectly. He never lied to spare feelings, but He never spoke truth to win arguments.
His words freed people because His heart was for them.
The Freedom of Honest Love
Living truthfully requires courage — the courage to be misunderstood, the courage to confront, and the courage to confess.
But when truth and love meet, freedom follows.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Freedom begins when we let the truth expose both our hurt and our healing.
It’s not about being right; it’s about being real — with God, with others, and with ourselves.
Reflection
Where are you tempted to hide truth behind a “but”?
How can love shape the way you speak truth — even when it’s hard?
What would change if honesty became your habit, not your exception?
Prayer