#66 Yours, Mine, and the Truth

John 8:31b-32 NASB "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

My wife and I have been blessed with three wonderful children. No, they are not perfect but they are great kids in my biased opinion. But no matter how great any of our kids are they may struggle with telling the truth sometimes. For most of us it is not always easy to tell the truth. If I ask my kids what happened after they come crying I always seem to get varying versions of the "truth".

No doubt most of us have heard that there are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth. It seems when people recount a story they tend to remember what was important to them. Or perhaps they choose not to share portions that incriminate them. This phenomenon plagues police around the world when they investigate an incident.

But some would ask, "What is the truth? Is truth dependent upon us? Can there be varying versions of the truth?" One online dictionary defines truth as: a fact that has been verified. That is an accurate definition I suppose, but what is truth as it relates to spiritual things?

Let's let the Bible speak for itself in this regard. In John 14:6 Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. So by this verse we discover that Jesus is truth. Why? Because Jesus embodies all that we strive to be as it relates to fulfilling the will of the Father. Jesus' life was devoted to pleasing the Father and teaching others to follow His lead. He did not chase selfish desires or rebel against God. He always sought to do the will of the Father in every circumstance. He did not reject the portions of Scripture that were outside the cultural norms.

By looking at Christ's life and ministry we see that He always sought to do right by always doing His Father's will. If you and I hope to be aligned with the truth then we must be aligned with Christ in every aspect of our lives. I often have people tell me during Bible studies that it really does not matter if they believe what they are learning and that we can all get to heaven if we just love Christ. Many say that doctrine and teaching are not really relevant.

This may sound good but it is not truthful. We cannot chose to ignore Christ's teachings or His truths just because it is not convenient to our lifestyle. He wanted each of us to learn all His teachings. He said so in Matthew 28:20. We cannot ignore what He has asked us to do just because we want to go a different direction. If we accept that Christ is truth and we want to live for Him then we have no choice but to accept the truths that He shares with us. We do not have the option of choosing our own path and then asking Him to bless it. Of course I say this in the context of those who want to see eternity with Christ.

Why not let today be the day that you stop ignoring Jesus and His truth? Why not let today be the day that you choose to follow His version of reality. I promise you that He will give you the peace that comes from sweet surrender. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

Dear Father God,
We thank You for Your gracious love and mercy. Please forgive us for the times we have ignored Your truth, and please give us the courage to follow you even when it means making huge changes in our lives. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.