A natural part of human imperfection is the difficultly we have finding and believing the truth. Since the beginning of time we have found ourselves coming up with questions and desperately seeking answers, but not everyone comes to the same conclusions. Therefore, someone must be wrong, and someone must be right. Sometimes a part of human life is falling for and believing lies--lies from other people, lies from ourselves, and lies from the great deceiver.
But for those who desire truth and constantly seek it, life becomes about taking up truth as you find it and become convinced by it. We find new truths through experience, education, revelation, etc. When we invest ourselves in processes that result in gaining knowledge, we are working towards breaking our chains of ignorance and false belief. We develop what we know of truth, and we strive for fuller freedom. It is our right, and our duty, to pursue this freedom.
I am a person deeply passionate for truth and understanding. I love to develop my perception of significant truths, and I also love gaining simple knowledges. While ignorance can be bliss, I truly do believe the truth sets people free. However, I will also admit that sometimes I am terrified by certain truths. I think a lot of people are, to be honest. Some might not acknowledge it, but it’s definitely a fact in the lives of many individuals.
People fear truth that demands a change of lifestyle. I say this because if truth was really considered to be truly freeing and beneficial, people would be much more desperate in their search for truth and understanding than most Christians are, especially regarding their faith and obedience to God. If people deeply believed there was an infinitely complex but personal and knowable God who was the ultimate source of truth, would they not seek Him earnestly and consistently? If I deeply believed that, would I not seek Him earnestly and consistently?
This is where my fear of certain truths comes in. I do believe God is complex but knowable, the ultimate source of truth and goodness. But I do not always pursue Him with fervor. Why? Because I know that if I pursue Him, truth will be relieved to me, and almost certainly I will be called to change parts of my life as a result of the new truth imparted to me. So sometimes I settle for the imperfect perception truth that I currently hold. I become unmotivated to do what we are commanded to do--to “study the Book of the Law continually,” to “meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8). And I choose to cling to the lie that I may be obedient and successful without developing this particular discipline. This is a lie whispered from the lips of the enemy. And so many Christians, young and old, have fallen into belief of this lie, unaware that they are lovingly clinging to their shackles and rejoicing in their ability to walk through life comfortably.
This is another fact about me: I am a person deeply passionate for my own comfort. I pursue comfort relentlessly, at times. One of my favorite things to do is pursue my comfort. I do it all the time, even subconsciously. I don’t even have to think about it. I don’t have to put any thought into sacrificing my pursuit truth and purpose, or my obedience to God, for my comfort’s sake; I do it naturally. This is one of many tragedies caused by humanity’s sinfulness.
The good news is that even when I am too weak and foolish to desire my own freedom in truth, God is still dedicated to that freedom. It is in and through Him that I, and you, are granted the strength to pursue our freedom and enter into a deeper understanding and love of God, resulting in glory, satisfaction, joy, and fullness. Isn’t that awesome?
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