Lesallan | October 2nd, 2025
Basis for Ethical Decisions – Response to Casey
Good morning, Casey:
Thank you for your gracious response and for sharing how prayer and patience shaped your decision. I appreciate how you emphasized not rushing but waiting on God for the right timing and words—that is such an important part of discernment.
Regarding your question about how I tried to convey my words with love and gentleness rather than blunt honesty, I found four practices helpful. First, prayer preparation was essential. I asked God not only for courage but also for compassion, so my words would reflect His heart rather than my own need to speak. Second, scriptural guidance shaped my approach. Passages such as “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:15, New King James Version, 1982) and “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6, NKJV, 1982) reminded me that truth and grace must remain together. Third, tone and posture mattered. I approached the conversation with humility, acknowledging my own failures and asking forgiveness, which softened the exchange and shifted the focus toward reconciliation. Finally, listening as love was key. After speaking, I gave space to listen, because sometimes love is shown more in how we receive another’s pain than in what we say.
Even with these steps, my words were imperfect, but God’s Spirit supplied the gentleness I lacked. Your reminder of Ephesians 4:15 is so fitting. Truth and love are never meant to be separated (Ephesians 4:15, NKJV, 1982). Thank you for drawing us back to that balance.
I would love to hear your thoughts: in your experience, how do you discern when it is time to speak truth directly versus when it’s wiser to wait and let God prepare the other person’s heart first?
Peace and Grace,
Lesallan
References:
New King James Version. (1982). Holy Bible. Thomas Nelson.
