Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the
truth,
and the life: no
man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.
John
14:6
There are just some memories that seem to stick in my mind. I was about four years old when my Mother said she heard me tell a lie. She went under the bathroom sink and retrieved a half bar of Ivory soap. They may still come as a double, but not sure. Because of my lie, my Mother said my mouth had to be washed out. I was required to take a good bite into that soft soap that claimed to be 99.44% pure. I couldn't have cared less how pure it was. I pulled all the soap our of my mouth I could but most still coated my teeth. I tried washing my mouth out with water, but that just created lots of suds...all because of a little lie I was sure was trivial compared to the punishment.
I found in looking for a definition of truth that it seemed to be a difficult word to define without using the word itself. I looked at several sources for a definition of truth and found it to be somewhat complicated for most. Some definitions made some sense such as: real facts, quality of being genuine, adherence to reality...even just factual.
I
must say in our day, that I would love to pass out some bars of Ivory
soap, especially to some politicians I've seen and heard who seem to
know nothing about truth. When there is a breakdown in truth, trust
is broken and that shakes our culture in the worst of ways. I wish
it could be different but am learning in these days that I can't live
life for others.
Truth
must happen in the lives of we individuals. There are mandates for a
little of everything in our country. The fact is that for the most
part, mandates aren't worth the paper they are written on unless they
are accompanied with a great deal of threat. Something like truth
cannot be ordered or maintained consistently by anyone.
Truth
has only one Source and that is in Jesus Christ. Without Him in ones
life, truth has little meaning. For unbelievers especially, truth is
what individuals decide it to be. Jesus was speaking to His
disciples before going to the cross. He was doing His best to steady
the ground of life under the feet of His disciples. He knew they
would face some difficult days so wanted them to have a firm
spiritual foundation.
What
He taught then is just as appropriate for us today. Many people feel
there are many paths to Heaven and declare their own truth. People
speak of their own personal truth. There is no such thing. Our
focus must be on THE ONE WHO IS TRUTH with the benefit of His
direction no one else can offer.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your words of comfort and guidance. Help us to stay focused on You...Your way, life and also the truest of Truth. Thank You for making those things possible in our lives. Help us to be people of truth in these days when it seems to be lost to so many. In Your precious name...Amen