Knowing Truth

  This isn’t going to be a comfortable blog. It’s honest,  and it’s raw. No ears will get tickled, nor will egos get stroked. Truth, however, will be spoken and feelings and emotions encouraged.

I started this blog in order to encourage, inspire and lead, and help others do the same. I have learned, over time, that people sometimes do not want to hear truth. People want what makes them feel validated, even if it’s incorrect. It’s part of the human condition, and something I fervently wish I was totally free from. I am, nevertheless, human. I feel it as well, and let’s face it...who doesn’t want to feel they’re right in their thinking? There’s something rousingly invigorating about having a sense of “correctness.” It soothes the conscience and eases the mind. I am not convinced, however, this is the way God intends for us to live!

First Corinthians 1:4 states, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” We are not called to comfortable lives. We are called to step away from our respective “comfort zones” and take a risk in comforting others. What are we gonna do about it?

We view Truth incorrectly, we humans. We think we see it as a shining beacon, something faithful, just and true, liberating the hostage from bondage, setting free the wretched refuse and all that. That’s what Truth actually does. And we say we believe that because we’re  Christians, and we’re supposed to say that.  It is fantasy for us to think we actually believe that. In reality, most of us do not want Truth. Because in order to get to pure, unadulterated Truth, the journey is a messy, emotional, rocky and often dangerous one. And who wants to travel THAT road?

Here’s a prime example: (I am using fake names and this circumstance is TOTALLY fictitious) Lulu discovers Barbie’s husband is cheating on her. Lulu tells Barbie. Barbie now has information she wishes she didn’t know, because it’s painful. Barbie gets angry at Lulu for telling her and goes into denial. Friendship broken.

Lulu vows never to speak up again. (“And so it goes until the day we die...love stinks...” At least according to J. Geils Band)

See how easy that was? I could give a hundred other examples, but you get the idea. I’ll bet on any given day, we could’ve asked Barbie if she was a fan of Truth and she would have batted her eyes, swept back her long blonde hair and replied, “Totally.” At least Malibu Barbie would’ve. In all honesty, we are NOT a fan of Truth if it makes us uncomfortable. We are a fan of Truth when it validates our position or fits our agenda. Or makes us comfortable.

The Word of God is definitely not a comfortable book. If we read it and perceive no conviction of sin or leading of the Holy Spirit, we are reading it wrong. It is, in fact, a constant call to get out of our comfort levels and move with the Lamb. I know this is very blunt. Still, I promised no ears would get tickled, so I cannot apologize for Truth. I can only write what I perceive and know from experience to be Truth, not what I think might be a little more palatable. However, my faith in God and in you good people who read this blog is immense. I know you guys are seekers of Truth, or you wouldn’t be reading what basically amounts to a call to arms. Because now comes the hard part...again, what are we gonna do about it?

Knowing the Truth will set us free. It’s the most liberating thing in this world or the next. How are we gonna use that Truth and apply it to our lives and the lives of others? That’s the million dollar question, as my Dad used to say.

A word of caution, my friends...please, please do NOT take this blog and use it an an excuse to speak your mind or air an opinion just because you feel somehow vindicated after reading this. That’s not the purpose of this, and everything we do must above all else be tempered with LOVE! If we can’t speak to Barbie with love, we need to remain silent and pray. A lost art, that, and one we need to revive. So there’s my disclaimer. Take it to heart.

Where do we start? We start small. We start with one step. And we start with ourselves. We learn Truth about ourselves and maybe, just maybe once we take the plank out of our own eyes we can help remove the toothpicks from our brothers. God bless!