Have you ever considered what it means to be spiritually honest? To speak God’s truth with courage when silence feels safer?
Recently, I found myself wrestling with a difficult situation, unsure whether I should speak up or remain silent. As I shared my struggles with a trusted mentor, she asked, “What is your motive behind speaking up?”
Her question caused me to pause. Despite my desire to do what was right, I recognized that my motives were not entirely pure. Deep down, I wanted to be heard and for the other person to be “put in their place.”
Yet through that conversation, God opened my eyes to what spiritual honesty really is. It’s not about proving a point, but about His truth flowing through us with humility, discernment, and love.
When seeking courage to be spiritually honest, here are a few things to remember.
It Starts with Integrity
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but their duplicity destroys the unfaithful.” (Proverbs 11:3)
The Latin root of the word integrity is integer, which means whole or complete. It indicates an undividedness in thoughts and values. Spiritually speaking, integrity is being of one heart and mind concerning the things of Christ. It involves abiding in Him, both inwardly and outwardly.
When I was struggling with whether to confront someone or let it go, my mind was all over the place, going back and forth on what was right. I knew that confusion was not from the Lord, so I committed the situation to prayer, asking for wisdom and guidance. God orchestrated an opportunity I never could have expected. Not only was I filled with spiritual courage to speak honestly, but by God’s grace, I displayed gentleness and kindness throughout the difficult conversation.
As Christians, our integrity is rooted in Christ; we are made complete and whole in Him. Without integrity guiding us, we’ll easily fall into self-serving patterns that rarely turn out well.
Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (ESV)
When praying for courage to be spiritually honest, ask the Lord for renewed integrity and an undividedness in following His ways. This will align your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, preparing you to speak openly while still abiding in Him.
A prayer for wisdom: Lord, I know that confusion and back-and-forth thinking are not from You. Please settle my heart and mind to conform to Your will. I want to speak from a place of integrity and from the wholeness I have in You. In Your holy name, amen.
It Reflects Maturity
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV)
When each part of the Body of Christ is working properly, spiritual honesty is not only easy to give but also easy to receive. There’s no ill intent or offense taken when we courageously speak God’s truth lovingly and maturely.
In contrast, immaturity often reveals:
• Hastiness or rash decisions
• Harsh words to prove a point
• Heightened emotions that override discernment
• Holiness not rooted in Christ, but in religion
Spiritual honesty is fueled by the Holy Spirit who resides in us with all peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. Christ-led honesty isn’t consumed by pride, anger, or hastiness. Instead, there’s a sense of calm assurance that truth needs to be spoken for the building up of the Body. The focus is on unity rather than division, regardless of the outcome.
A prayer for wisdom: Lord, I’ve been hasty in my words before, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to speak from a place of pride or anger, but from the assurance of Your Spirit. Let my motives always be for unity within the Body, building up instead of tearing down. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
It Comes from Purity
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1-3)
It’s a sad fact that many of us resist spiritual honesty, but welcome gossip and slander. Whether it's in the company of friends or on social media, we’re quick to talk about someone rather than go to them.
As I mentioned in the introduction, my motives for speaking up weren’t entirely pure. Deep down, I wanted to be heard. I wanted to put the other person “in their place.” This was in direct opposition to the spiritual honesty I was seeking, and I had to first surrender my impure motives before receiving the courage to move forward.
Peter said it best: “Rid yourselves of all malice…deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” The New Living Translation says, “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.”
Purity is an important part of spiritual honesty, not only in our words but also in our thoughts and actions. Peter also said, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)
Sincere love is the key motivator behind courageous truth. Without it, we’re vulnerable to hypocrisy and slander, often bringing more harm than good. If you’re unsure what your true motives are, take time to seek the Lord and let go of anything that isn’t from Him.
A prayer for wisdom: Lord, I would rather remain silent than cause division within Your Body. Please help me with this! I want my motives to align with Your will, so please remove all slander and unkind speech from my lips. In Jesus’ name, amen.
It Imparts the Wisdom of God
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13)
The courage to be spiritually honest requires interpreting the spiritual truths God teaches. It has nothing to do with human wisdom or rationale, but everything to do with the Holy Spirit within us. Galatians 5:17 says, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” (NLT)
Anytime our flesh gets involved, we can be sure it is the opposite of what God wants. This is difficult to accept, as our human will and emotions can feel so right. But thankfully, we have the Word of God to guide us in all wisdom and truth.
Spending time in the Scriptures - praying, seeking, meditating, and ultimately surrendering - equips us to be spiritually honest with full assurance that we are sharing heavenly wisdom above our own knowledge. As James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
Within this one verse, there are eight amazing attributes of God’s wisdom: purity, peace, gentleness, willingness to yield, mercy, good fruits, no partiality, and no hypocrisy. Imagine if we adopted these as our guidelines for spiritual honesty!
Being courageous enough to speak God’s truth is much needed in our world today, but it involves spiritual integrity, maturity, purity, and wisdom. Keep these things in mind as you seek the Lord’s will and move forward as He leads. You can trust Him to give you the courage and the words at just the right time.
A prayer for wisdom: Lord, please forgive me when I think I know best. It’s your wisdom I seek. Please help me follow James 3:17 and the wisdom from above. I lay down every desire of my flesh in exchange for Your truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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