01-16-24-ENG.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

John 16:13

Truth reigns as the fundamental building block upon which all else either stands tall or topples. Somehow our culture has made followers of truth look like second-class citizens, outdated or old-fashioned. It’s popular to believe truth is subjective, or that everyone should search out “their own truth.” But truth, it turns out, is universal—we can’t make it up as we go along. Truth be told, everyone depends on truth. Without truth, the whole world will collapse. Even the opponents of truth depend on it to function every day. For example, how would you feel about flying on an airplane with an unsure pilot? If you heard your pilot come on the speaker before the flight and say, “

We are about to take off and I’m pretty sure I know what buttons to push, but sometimes I like to mix it up,” what would you do? If you were like me, you would get off that plane. Or, how would you feel about a surgeon who has discarded truth in his or her field? Let’s say you were having a consultation with a surgeon and he or she said, “I watched a surgery like this online the other day and that surgeon was doing some pretty cool new things that I’d like to try to save time. I think I know where to cut, but I’ll look again at that video just to be sure.” Would you even stay for the rest of the consultation or would you, like me, get up and walk away?

What about a pharmacist who admits to guessing as your medication is put in the bottle? Would you take it? Or what if the pharmacist said, “I have a lot of meds to choose from on these shelves. Let me pick one that I feel is right for you!” Truth governs all we rely on for our very existence. The truth that makes up the oxygen we breathe or the gravity that keeps us on this earth can’t vary based on how it feels. We need truth, more than we realize sometimes. 

Reaction:
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the most), indicate how highly you esteem truth as an absolute standard we must all follow.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the most), indicate how highly you feel our society esteems truth as an absolute standard we must all follow.

What do you think is the major reason for the difference between the two scores?

Prayer: Jesus, guide me into the full knowledge of truth. Show me where I am in error in my thoughts or beliefs so that I can correctly align myself under Your truth. Help our society to value truth more fully and honor it through actions that glorify You. Reveal ways in which I can better influence society and those around me to both love and value truth. Thank You for all You are doing in this area in my life. In Your name, amen.