Truth

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."  It seems no one wants to hear the truth these days. Our culture today does not like Truth, and people who speak the truth are usually made fun of or painted as radicals.  We are told to always, "Speak the truth in love."  What does it mean to speak the truth, and who defines what Truth is?  True Truth is found in the word of God.  If we are looking for it any other place, we are looking in the wrong place.  It seems like today, though, anyone who dares speaks the truth, they are crucified and vilified for it.  

I always want the truth, but sometimes I don't like hearing it.  The truth sometimes can be painful, and other times it can be liberating.  Sometimes, I ask my husband if something I have on looks good on me.  I want him to answer me truthfully.  I don't want to wear something that does not flatter me.   If he says, "No,"  I have to be willing to hear the truth.  Afterall, I asked for it.  I need people in my life who will love me enough to tell me the truth.  If I have done something to hurt someone, or if I have acted in a way I should not have, I need someone to tell me.  How else can I correct something unless someone is willing to be honest with me?  Sometimes, people in our culture ask for our opinions, and when we answer truthfully, they get angry.  If they did not want to know the truth, why did they ask? 

When I was teaching, I used to hear all kinds of excuses for not doing homework or turning in projects on time.  I had one student whom a lot of teachers just did not care for.  He definitely had a reputation, but what I appreciated about this student was he never made an excuse for not doing his work.  He would walk into class and say, "Mrs. Nance, I didn't do the homework."  Sometimes, he would even say, "I just did not feel like doing it."  This student was actually a very bright student more than capable of doing any assignments given, but he just chose not to do them.  I always appreciated his honesty.  How refreshing it would be today if people in positions of leadership would just tell the truth! 

There are many troubling things going on in our world today.  The only way that we will be able to deal with them is with honesty and respect.  We have to be willing to hear the truth no matter how painful that may be to get to the solutions.  I have learned in my life denying and "sweeping things under the carpet," so to speak, will never make issues go away.  It is just delaying having to deal with them.  For real change to happen, we first have to be committed to truth.

Truth can sometimes be hard to handle.  I have often wondered what Moses thought when God told him he would not enter the Promised Land because he had disobeyed.  Was he hurt?  Was he disappointed?  Because David did not deal with truth and reality in his family, his family suffered greatly.  How many times did the Isaerelites suffer consequences because they chose not to believe the truth?  Not dealing with reality has a way of bringing a lot of pain. 

I want to be a lover of truth.  I pray as I live out this year that I have a love for the Truth, not man's truth, but God's.  His Truths provide freedom and grace.  Anything else is just a sham.  The author of untruth loves when we don't demand the truth.  We play right into his hands.  I have said before, and I will repeat, I never want to be an instrument of him.  May God always give me a heart for Truth.

Blessings,