Can the truth really hurt?
July 17, 2015
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:32
In the early 1900s, George Riddell acquired the overly-sensational London newspaper, The News of the Word. One day Riddell met famous British journalist Frederick Greenwood and mentioned that he owned the newspaper and offered to send Greenwood a copy. So he did, and the next time they met, Riddell asked Greenwood what he thought of the paper.
Greenwood, never one to mince words, told Riddell, “I looked at it and then I put it in the wastepaper basket. And then I thought, ‘If I leave it there the cook may read it.’ So I burned it.”
Sometimes, the truth hurts. Yet, how we feel about the truth has absolutely no bearing on its truthfulness. If someone were to tell you that a giant boulder was falling over your head and was going to crush you in 30 seconds, your emotions surrounding that statement wouldn’t change the fact that you better move or else you’ll be crushed.
When Jesus makes claims as in today’s passage, where He unequivocally states that there is no other way to the Father except through Him, it causes many people to wince because of its “intolerant” attitude toward other faiths. But the reality is that it’s no more intolerant than saying the only way you’re going to survive the boulder that’s about to crush you is to move!
Believe the truth. Emotions will vary, but the truth endures forever!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to help you rely fully on His truth, not your own emotions, to guide you in life.
Questions for Thought
What are some biblical truths that are hard for you to believe on an emotional level?
Can you think of a time when you let your emotions guide you down the wrong path? Where did they lead you?
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