“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer
In May of 1981, Joe Walsh released the song “A Life of Illusion.” This song highlights that humans spend much of their lives lost in confusion and living a life of illusion. Nothing could be more accurate; we spend a big chunk of our lives chasing our tails because we lack and avoid the truth about ourselves. If we wish to be happy, joyous, and free, we must discover the truth about ourselves; in other words, we must name it before claiming it. We will need the help of others, most notably the aid of the Holy Spirit, to see ourselves for who and what we indeed are.
Peeling back the onion on our lives and character is not easy and requires much help, mainly because it’s a lifelong practice. The most significant challenge humans face is that we don’t have the truth in us. The Bible points this out throughout Scripture; here is an example: “If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 CEB). Over and over again, Scripture helps us uncover, discover, and discard the truth about ourselves. We must name it for what it is before claiming it; then, we give it over to God so that God can transform our lives. The truth will set us free, but we must first name it to claim it.
What is truth? Is truth relative? Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Why do humans lack and avoid the truth?
The truth is we are all God’s kids, and when we accept this truth about ourselves and all of humanity, transformation becomes possible. If we claim to believe in a God of love and that we are God’s children, then our character and actions should match those of our Creator, and if they do not, then the truth is not in us. If our primary purpose in life is not loving God with our entire being and loving our neighbor like ourselves, then the truth is not inside us, and we are living a life of illusion.
18 Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. 19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. 20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence in our relationship with God. 22 We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments dwell in God, and God dwells in them. This is how we know that he dwells in us because of the Spirit he has given us (1 John 3:18-24).
God of love and truth. Thank You for making Your Truth available to the world. Because of Your Truth, victory, freedom, and eternal life are possible, but first, we must name it to claim it. Please grant us the willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness it takes to discover the truth about ourselves and then to accept Your Truth into our lives. You more than any desire for us to be happy, joyous, and free, but first, we must have the truth in us; please help make that happen. In Your Spirit and Name, we pray these things. May Your will not ours always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
Leave a Reply