We are told to tell the truth ever since we are young kids. But the truth is that we rarely know what the truth is. Read that again- I’m very proud of that sentence. It seems like an oxymoron- surely there must be some sort of truth in the world. But, when we’re dealing with imperfect people, there is no such thing. Let me explain.
For something to be truth, it must be an event or circumstance escribed exactly how they happened, without bias or preconceived notions. In other words, truth must be described objectively. The problem is that no one on earth is truly objective. We all have our own biases that we’ve developed as we grew up, or our own preconceived notions from our past experiences.
Two people can observe the same event and describe it completely differently. Even deeper within ourselves, two mindsets of one person can observe the same event and interpret it completely differently. To us, truth isn’t what happened, it’s what we tell ourselves happened.
This is crucial because as Lawrence Corbridge teaches in his talk Stand Forever (an excellent read for any prospective missionaries), acting in the way closest to truth is the way to come closest to happiness. So, if our own concept of truth isn’t correct, whose is?
Well, there’s one person who ever lived on earth who can be completely objective. That person is Jesus Christ. When He says that ‘He is the same yesterday, today, and forever,’ that is what He means. Jesus Christ has no biases. No judgements for or against us. He simply loves us and is able to see our actions for what they truly are.
Now, here’s a challenge. Every day spend a couple of minutes reviewing the events of your past day. Then, pray and ask God to help you see and interpret those events clearly. As Paul taught, ‘we see through a glass darkly’, but with Christ’s help we can figure out what truth really is.
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