What do you do when you find out something you have always believed, is in fact, not true? A tidbit learned from your history teacher in high school or a doctrine you were taught in church.
Most of us have experienced this in one way or another.
Were you raised believing in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? How about the Easter Bunny?
I was.
I still remember reading a book up in my bedroom in third grade. The main character stated that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. I was devastated. (I still can't believe that in third grade I STILL believed in Santa!) Nevertheless, when I found out, I ran downstairs in hopes that my mom would tell me that in fact Santa was real. That the book was lying and that my trusted mother would set the record straight.
Nope.
The truth came out. I kind of had a feeling that it was the case but secretly hoped that Santa was real.
Of course I was told not to tell my little sister who wasn't even school aged yet, so I felt all grown up and more mature all of a sudden with this new found knowledge.
What do we do when we are given new knowledge that rocks the way that we have thought in our adult lives? Do we refuse to accept it, do we research the facts or do we jump on board because the teaching is new, revolutionary and exciting?
It is easy to get defensive when it challenges everything we have known but if it is not based in the truth we need to be careful.
For example, did George Washington really chop down his father's cherry tree or did a pastor make the story up for a simple object lesson in a sermon?
Was Christopher Columbus really a Christian or was the Catholic church just trying to promote their religion by rewriting his lost journals?
Was Cassie Burnell really asked if she was a Christian by her killer moments before she was shot in the library of Columbine High School or was this just a story made up to promote evangelical Christianity?
I am not trying to be critical but all of these examples are stories we have been told. How do we know if they are true and what would we do and how would we react if they, in fact are not true?
I'm simply trying to make a point.
It is possible that there are things that we believe that are not true. If you are a Christian, as I am, then you know what I mean. Before you were saved you thought one way. Once you become a Christian, your world view changed. You now look at the world from a Biblical perspective. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, and He does, but if we are led into the truth then we must then leave behind the lies. We can't believe both.
My encouragement for you this week is to hold fast to the truth. To seek the truth. Biblical truth, and allow your viewpoints about yourself, your family, the world, your health and everything else line up in accordance to the Word of God!
