Truth ends suffering, but only when we acknowledge and accept its existence, in spite of the world’s attempts to bend, alter, and destroy it.
It seems the one constant in humanity is suffering. We inflict it on ourselves, on others, and on the world.
In the name of justice, religion, ideology, righteousness, and unfortunately, truth, we destroy so much.
Truth is not defined by the world.
What we call something is not truth.
It’s simply a name. A word we’ve assigned to a set of attributes or features. We point to a thing and call it good or bad, ugly or beautiful. We point to another person and label them a success or a failure, strong or weak, a victim or a survivor.
When asked who we are, we point to ourselves and usually offer the name of our profession, doctor, teacher, or janitor. Or the name of our role in life, husband, wife, parent. We’re a combination of so many labels. Yet, not one of them points to who we truly ARE.
Still, we use them to categorize, to pass judgement, and worse to dismiss and condemn. We cling to labels as though they determine our worth and the worth of others. Too often, we stop there and never look any further.
Arrogance blinds us to truth.
Our ability to think, to use logic and reasoning to solve complex problems, is both a blessing and a curse.
On the one hand, those abilities inspire us. Through the centuries, mankind has made unquestionable progress, accomplished tremendous things, and improved the lives and well-being of countless generations.
Thinking and pursuing wisdom are worthwhile endeavors that open our eyes to the world around us, provide perspective, and lead us to truth.
On the other hand, they can also lead to feelings of self-importance, superiority, and entitlement. That kind of arrogance breeds contempt and self-righteousness. Worse, it blinds us to truth. As with pride, arrogance left unchecked is destructive.
Truth is not about control, it’s about freedom.
Truth does not come from the world, it was sent into the world. It isn’t malleable, bendable, or subjective. It doesn’t belong to any one of us, and yet, it is available to all of us. Truth is not about control, rather, truth is freedom.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
James 1: 17-18
of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose
to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.
We are created in love and endowed with truth that surpasses this world. Yet, because we exist in the world, we cling to our humanness more often than we do to our spirits where truth lives and breaths and has its being.
We give in to our own selfishness and desire and turn away from truth. Instead, we accept the lies that allow us to live with our poor choices or to continually justify our actions.
We can disabuse ourselves of truth’s unalterable existence, but we cannot alter truth.
Proverbs 119:160 tells us, “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.” God’s word points us in the direction of truth and brings us to the fullness of the freedom that exists within it.
Freedom from what? From the inadequacies of the world and its attempts to thwart and deceive us.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Jesus is truth in human form because he is God in human form. In Jesus, truth came into the world to confront evil, transform hearts and minds, heal brokenness, and deliver us from sin.
He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” John 14:6.
Believing in Jesus Christ is to acknowledge that God truly exists, that He is who He says He is, and that through the Holy Spirit, truth is revealed. “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come,” John 16:13.
Obedience to God is to acknowledge that His words as true, His Commandments are true, and His promises as true. And when we live obediently and faithfully we come to know Truth because we come to know He who is Truth in person. To know Jesus is to know Truth. And to know and live Truth is to be truly free.
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