Seeking Truth
Seeking Truth: Where to find Wisdom and Freedom
The world is filled with conflicting opinions and subjective perspectives. Rather than the pursuit of truth standing as a beacon of wisdom, being right and having approval for what we believe in our minds to be reality is the goal of many. Truth exists and is real whether I accept it or not. The idea that “your truth is not my truth” supposes that truth is fluid and pliable and created in the mind of each person.
My belief or understanding of anything does not create reality. It is possible to believe something that's false, and while it's a fact that I believe it, my believing it does not make it true. For example, I may believe that the earth is flat. Does that make it flat? I may believe that 2 plus 2 is five. Does that make it so?
As a Christian, we believe that truth exists independently of our thoughts or opinions and transcends our personal biases or society’s’ approval. As the proverbial saying goes, "Truth does not need your acceptance or permission, for it stands alone."
The Gospel of John, in 8:32, proclaims this, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." This verse underscores the transformative power of truth and emphasizes the significance of actively seeking and embracing it. It promises that the path to true freedom from the shifting ideas that change over time is in aligning our lives with the timeless truths from the One who created us.
Jesus prayed this for all of us. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) But, embracing the truth is not always easy. As we seek God’s truth we’re challenged to rise above approval-seeking. Seeking truth, irrespective of how unpleasant or inconvenient it may be, is an act of courage and wisdom.
The source of all truth, God invites us to seek wisdom and discernment. In fact, He promises to provide wisdom, when we ask. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:5-6) As individual believers and as the church, we must model seeking truth over seeking approval as a path to wisdom and freedom. Otherwise, we will be shackled in falsehood and ignorance as we are “carried about with every wind of doctrine”. (Ephesians 4:14)
My prayer is that God would grant each of us the promised Spirit of truth on our journey of seeking and embracing the truth, guided by the wisdom that surpasses human understanding. Amen. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13)
Credit: Ron Kelley
The world is filled with conflicting opinions and subjective perspectives. Rather than the pursuit of truth standing as a beacon of wisdom, being right and having approval for what we believe in our minds to be reality is the goal of many. Truth exists and is real whether I accept it or not. The idea that “your truth is not my truth” supposes that truth is fluid and pliable and created in the mind of each person.
My belief or understanding of anything does not create reality. It is possible to believe something that's false, and while it's a fact that I believe it, my believing it does not make it true. For example, I may believe that the earth is flat. Does that make it flat? I may believe that 2 plus 2 is five. Does that make it so?
As a Christian, we believe that truth exists independently of our thoughts or opinions and transcends our personal biases or society’s’ approval. As the proverbial saying goes, "Truth does not need your acceptance or permission, for it stands alone."
The Gospel of John, in 8:32, proclaims this, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." This verse underscores the transformative power of truth and emphasizes the significance of actively seeking and embracing it. It promises that the path to true freedom from the shifting ideas that change over time is in aligning our lives with the timeless truths from the One who created us.
Jesus prayed this for all of us. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) But, embracing the truth is not always easy. As we seek God’s truth we’re challenged to rise above approval-seeking. Seeking truth, irrespective of how unpleasant or inconvenient it may be, is an act of courage and wisdom.
The source of all truth, God invites us to seek wisdom and discernment. In fact, He promises to provide wisdom, when we ask. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:5-6) As individual believers and as the church, we must model seeking truth over seeking approval as a path to wisdom and freedom. Otherwise, we will be shackled in falsehood and ignorance as we are “carried about with every wind of doctrine”. (Ephesians 4:14)
My prayer is that God would grant each of us the promised Spirit of truth on our journey of seeking and embracing the truth, guided by the wisdom that surpasses human understanding. Amen. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13)
Credit: Ron Kelley
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