Scripture Passage
Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NLT)
Observation
Paul was a visionary man with a tenacious commitment to fulfilling God’s call. But he was not so action oriented that he cared nothing for any who might be “run over” in the course of his evangelism. Rather, he cared deeply for each person he encountered, and especially for those who had come to faith because of his ministry.
That shows up dramatically in 2 Corinthians, one of my favorite spots for seeing the heart of the Apostle Paul as a pastor-shepherd. Paul had planned a visit to the church at Corinth but later changed his plans—in part at least, because the visit would have involved his delivering a necessary but painful face-to-face rebuke. Paul chose, instead, to write a letter of rebuke (a letter we only know about because Paul mentions it here), so that when he did get to visit the Corinthians, it could be a joyous reunion (with difficulties resolved), not a troubling one.
Paul’s critics, however, seized this opportunity to impugn Paul and question his authenticity, honesty, and motivation. (I’m tellin’ you—if you’ve ever led a group for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced this—and there’s nothing more painful.) I love what Paul is able to say about himself and his communication: Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. (2 Corinthians 1:13 NLT).
May my communication be that straightforward! (Okay, the truth is, I believe it is.) I'm weary of people who refuse to say what they mean, who shade their words so you never know what they’re really saying or what's really in their heart, who poke around to dredge up information while they remain unwilling to reveal themselves. God give us plain talkers.
That’s not a call to coarse communication or insensitive speech. It’s a call for speaking with integrity, transparency, clarity, and sensitivity. And even for those who refuse honest dialogue—who refuse, perhaps, to either practice it themselves or trust that it comes from others—every leader's hope is that “someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NLT)
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