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There are few things more difficult than this. Not a stranger. Not someone distant. But someone in your own family. Someone you love.

And yet… they believe things that don’t line up with Scripture. And suddenly, what used to feel simple… doesn’t anymore. Because now it’s not just a question of truth. It’s a question of relationship.

This one has become personal for me. As a grandfather, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about the world my grandson is growing up in. The voices shaping him. The ideas he’s being exposed to. The things that are presented as normal that don’t always line up with God’s Word.

And it brings a tension into your heart. Because you love them deeply. And you want to guide them. But you also don’t want to push them away. So you start asking questions that don’t have easy answers:

What do I say? When do I say it? How do I say it without damaging the relationship? And maybe the hardest one of all: How do I stay faithful to truth… and still stay close to them?

That’s where this becomes more than a discussion. It becomes something you have to live. And before anything else, I’ve had to anchor myself in something that doesn’t move. God’s truth does not change.

Scripture says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, NKJV).

We’re living in that time. Truth is being redefined. Standards are shifting. Things that once seemed clear are now being questioned. But God’s Word hasn’t changed. And that means my responsibility isn’t to adjust truth…it’s to hold it faithfully.

But at the same time, this isn’t just about being right. It’s about reflecting Christ. And that’s where the tension lives. Because I’ve had to come to terms with this: love does not mean silence.

If something clearly goes against Scripture, I can’t pretend otherwise. There are moments where truth needs to be spoken. Scripture calls us to be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15, NKJV). Not just truth. And not just love. Both.

And I’ve learned that how I say something matters just as much as what I say. Because it’s possible to be right…and still be wrong in the way you handle it. That’s why Scripture says, “Let your speech always be with grace…” (Colossians 4:6, NKJV). No harshness. No arrogance. No unnecessary confrontation.

Because I’m not trying to win an argument. I’m trying to reflect Christ. And that’s changed how I approach conversations. Because not every moment is the moment to correct everything. That’s hard. Especially when you see something clearly.

But I’ve had to learn to slow down and ask: Is this the right moment? Is this the right tone? Is this the right approach?

Because Scripture reminds us, “A word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (Proverbs 15:23, NKJV).

Timing matters. Wisdom matters. And sometimes, listening does more than speaking. But here’s the balance I keep coming back to: If I compromise truth… I lose clarity. If I cut off the relationship… I lose influence. And I don’t want to lose either.

So I stay. I stay engaged. I stay present. I stay connected. Because when I look at Jesus, that’s what I see. He never compromised truth. But He never withdrew from people either. He was present. And because of that, people were drawn to Him—even when they didn’t agree with Him.

That challenges me. Because it reminds me that my presence matters. My consistency matters. My relationship with them matters. Even when I don’t see immediate change. And through all of this, I’ve had to remind myself of something simple—but not easy: I am still called to love. Not approve of everything. Not agree with everything. But love.

Scripture says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NKJV).

That means they should never have to question whether I love them. Even if they disagree with me completely. And maybe the biggest shift for me has been this: I cannot change their heart. But God can.

And that’s where prayer moves from being something I do occasionally…to something I depend on. Because what I can’t do through conversation…God can do through His Spirit. So I pray. I pray for open hearts. I pray for clarity. I pray for God to work in ways I can’t see.

Because Scripture reminds us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV).

And then comes the hardest part: trusting God with the outcome. Because I want to see change. I want to see clarity. I want to see truth take hold. But that doesn’t happen on my timeline.

And I’ve had to learn to rest in this: “Let us not grow weary while doing good…” (Galatians 6:9, NKJV).

So I stay faithful. I stay grounded. I stay consistent. And I trust that God is working—even when I can’t see it. Because in the end…I’m not called to change them. I’m called to reflect Christ to them. And that…is what makes the greatest difference.

Stay rooted,

Pastor David
gracepastordavid@gmail.com