Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Psalms 45:3-4 tells us that the Lord Jesus is riding forth for the cause of truth, humility and righteousness. These three are interconnected and in a sense they are one, but they are different manifestations of the virtues of Christ.
Truth is one of the most desired virtues we can possess (Ps. 51:6) yet it is so hard to face the truth, especially about ourselves. We expect it in others yet struggle to acknowledge it in our own
lives. Many times when issues are surfacing in our lives we avoid the truth because our ego or status would take a hit. The truth can hurt so we tend to cover up, blame shift and excuse ourselves. One thing is for certain- the truth may hurt, but in the end it will not harm you. However, if you do not face the truth eventually it is going to harm you and many times, those closest to you.
When I was in high school I worked on a Coke-Cola delivery truck. One day we pulled up to a grocery store and the Pepsi truck was there. My boss said something that I have not forgotten. Speaking of the Pepsi man, he said, “Don’t believe anything that mans says because he tells lies and believes them himself.” Deception practiced long enough turns into self-deception, which results in all kinds of self-justification, rationalization and delusional thinking about oneself.
Have you ever noticed that it is easier to look at someone else’s situation and on some levels see it more clearly and more truly than you can your own? Our desires, circumstances, history and fears can color everything we think about and see. It is especially hard to be completely objective about anything that personally affects us. One of the reasons for this is that much of the time we deal more in facts than the truth.
The word fact is often used to mean reality, the way things are or the way the world is. Even though facts can be proven they can change, are temporal and are not always the same for everyone; therefore facts are relative. Truth does not always deny the facts; it is just the greater reality. I believe you have to face the facts and deal with the facts, but we are to walk in truth (3 John 4), not facts. Truth is our foundation; it never changes and is the same for everyone all the time. So everything we believe, think and do is to be based on the truth, not temporal facts.
“Facts represent dead data while truth is information that is spiritual or living. This is why factual data is often called the “cold, hard facts,” or the “bare” facts. Facts are simply empty forms of data without a “soul.” Truth, however, is a form of information that contains goodness.” Edward Siliva
Years ago I heard someone say, “If a thousand old beliefs were ruined in our march to truth we must still march on.” As painful and costly as it may seem it really is time to march on to the truth.
Many Blessings, BW