This excerpt is from our chapter on saying hard things:

"Paul said the hard thing, over and over and over again. But why did he do it? What drove Paul to risk relational fallout and loss of time and bodily harm by saying hard things? Did he have a death wish? Was it to boost his ego? Did he just want to prove to everyone that he had stones? Was he looking to get an invite to speak on successful conflict management techniques at the next regional conference? What was driving Paul? He loved those people. He knew that every hard word or conversation was just an opportunity for profound gospel formation to happen. He was all-in on their holiness and maturity and joy, and he would do anything, say anything to help get them there. And nothing drives forward holiness and maturity and joy in a soul or in a community more than saying and hearing the hard thing."