Think Things Through What is TRUE

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

“No man in the whole world can change the truth. One can only look for the truth, find it, and serve it.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Last time I introduced what Paul had on his mind about things we should have on ours. It seems significant that the first thing on his mind was the truth. His menu for healthy thinking begins with whatever is “true.” If you want the best, consult the menu and order the truth. Something else might taste better but it won’t be nourishing and might make you sick.

Truth is in disrepair these days. Like no other time in my lifetime are we facing such dangerous levels of truth decay. It’s not the truth itself that is rotting; but the skill of ferreting it out from fiction that seems to be out of vogue.

It’s more difficult than ever to detect faulty logic and so called “alternative facts.” The Internet, social media, our man in the White House, most other politicians, and the “Father of lies” himself, have us so confused we have a hard time knowing which way is up. In reference to a certain politician Peter Sagal said “[He] is to lying what Charles Lindbergh was to flying. Nobody else would dare go that far!”

If truth frees like Jesus claimed, it follows that lies enslave.

If we’re taking our cues from the “Father of lies” or any of his disciples, reality is whatever they’re able to convince us that it is. The reality that liars want us to embrace is a world of make believe, one wherein they try to make us believe what’s not there and un-believe what is! Reality is whatever they can get away with.

There is a flight instrument that informs the pilot of the aircraft orientation relative to Earth’s horizon called an “Attitude Indicator” or “Artificial Horizon.” Otherwise, while flying deep in a dark cloud you might be upside down and not even know it. Sound familiar? While flying wrong side up or in the wrong direction altogether everything in us might be saying, “All is well. Just keep going as you are.” We need an Attitude Indicator to show us, Someone to tell us, friends to remind us what is true and what is not.

Brothers and sisters, we need to find our way back to what’s true. We can’t take a daily bath in the media mud and expect to emerge squeaky clean. Jesus not only speaks the truth, he is the Truth speaking. Therefore watching him and listening to his words can keep us from a fatal crash.

---

So, take a few minutes right now and soak in one or more things that are true and see if it doesn’t right your flight for the rest of the day.

---

Stay tuned for “whatever is noble”…