Truth

The truth is relative. What is true for me may not be true for you but we are both still right. What's wrong for me may be right for you and that's ok. WHAT? This kind of dialogue goes on every single day in our world. The phrase "truth is relative" is a very loaded statement because the implications of it could be life altering for most who adhere to it. To say that my own personal brand of truth may not be yours implies that everyone can play by a different set of rules without any thought of doing wrong. If everyone plays by a set of different rules then where is there a standard for those who do wrong? The phrase" truth is relative" implies that there is no wrong and that personal conviction dictates the boundaries of how far someone will go or how someone will act. To say that everyone has their own brand of truth could get very confusing especially when it comes to actions and interactions with others. I might think that stealing is wrong but Joe thinks it's right and does it. Joe gets caught stealing by the store clerk and explains that it's alright for him to take whatever he wants because it's right to him. Now in a world where truth is relative, the clerk couldn't argue with Joe because Joe's truth is right according to him and the clerk's truth is right according to himself. So the clerk is left with no other choice but to let Joe have the item because it is right for Joe to take it according to his own truth. I hope to most of you this sounds completely ludicrous because it is definitely WRONG! The truth is not in the eyes of the beholder nor is it something that is objective and open for discussion. There are clear lines between right and wrong and whether we want to admit it or not these standards and principles have been preprogrammed in us by our heavenly father. Conscience dictates our every move, thought, and action or at least it should. It's wrong to steal, it's wrong to kill, it's wrong to lie, it's wrong to abuse these are standards that our society has deemed wrong not just because of personal preference, but because of conscience and morality. So a standard must be set and kept. A standard really is nothing more than just a line in the sand to which you will not cross. So much is allowed up until that point is reached, if it crosses it then it's wrong. So the standard for truth is one that must be constantly set and observed, otherwise, you have a total mess on your hands. Our current political situation needs no introduction and truth is something that is desperately lacking in politics. What we see is when the standard for truth is breached problems ensue and truth falls by the wayside. I love what Jesus says in John 8:32:

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (ESV)

Did you catch that? The truth will set you free? Free from what? Are we in bondage? Jesus' words here are more that just a catchy statement that can be used in court or church, it is a statement of that echoes into our very lives. Freedom is something that is enjoyed but freedom cannot be enjoyed if there are shackles that weigh us down. Lies, half-truths, immorality, these are things that shackle us and keep us from having true freedom. Truth is so much more than just speaking it, it's living it and expressing it through actions and interactions. I can speak the truth but if my actions are opposite of that then the spoken truth is drowned out by untrue actions. Some will call this hypocrisy and it is a form of untruth. If you are speaking the truth but not following the truth that you speak, that makes you a liar. This concept smacked me in the face recently by something I said but I turned around days later and did the opposite of what I had said not to do. To live our lives according to true is to truly live our lives in freedom, not just personal freedom, but the freedom that God has intended for us. So many people today carry around a burden with them of personal defeats and failures, even big failures that have hurt others. If we are living according to the truth, which is Jesus Christ those past failures, burdens, and hurts have no hold on our lives anymore. Jesus says in John 14:6:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)

If Jesus is truth then let us call out him and ask for the freedom he offers through his life to relieve us of these shackles. Jesus assures us that when we give our lives to him he replaces this life of burden, of uncertainty, of restlessness and gives us something better, true freedom. The words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 say:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (ESV)

No longer do our lives need to shackled by walking in darkness and seeking the truth, the truth has come through Jesus Christ and he wants to make us free, free in him. There is a standard set before us and morality is not set on a person to person basis. Truth is not relative according to whoever holds it. There is one truth, one way, one life, are we following that in the person of Jesus Christ, or are we just following ourselves? In your family time, this week go over these verses and talk about what they mean. Do you and your children know that Jesus is the way the truth and the life? What does this mean for how we live our lives daily? How does this change the way we live, talk, and act around others or even when it's just us by ourselves when no one is looking? Talk about right and wrong and how there needs to a standard that everyone follows and what happens if it's suddenly gone.