How does one discern between conflicting statements....especially when neither party has demonstrated a commitment to truth previously?
I am caught in the middle. How do I plot a course when I am not sure where the land-mines are located? Two people are telling me with certainty that they know....but what they "know" overlaps only slightly. I want to do what is "right," not just so that I can survive, but also for the sake of doing right.
I know that God sees and knows all, and that He himself is the personification of truth. But in this present era, He is not in the habit of sending a handwritten message or giving clear revelation through a vision. I am desperately in need of the guidance of His Spirit...of the still, small voice that directs.
Today I am reading II Corinthians 13:7-8 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test, but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
I pray that I will not do anything wrong.
I pray that I will stick to what is right even if it looks like I have failed.
I pray that I will act in accordance with the TRUTH....real truth, not human perspective.
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Perspective and Perception
I have been reading a book written by someone known to me. The author is not a close friend, but is an acquaintance. A mutual acquaintance made the comment that 60% of the book is true. I know that neither of these people would intentionally lie about anything, so how can one present the contents of the book as true, and the other say that only 60% is true?
We all interpret what we experience in life within our own context. We bring our unique past background to each new situation. Two people can be in the same place at the same time living through the same moments together and cast those moments in completely different lights. Witnesses to a crime can "see" different things. Family members can remember family events differently. Someone recently told me that she and her brother had read the same article and come away with very different conclusions. An ant crawling around in an oriental rug has a much different perspective than a person standing looking down on it. Hence, they have different perceptions.
Several years ago, I had a very painful experience. I was verbally attacked by someone whom I had considered to be a close friend and coworker in a volunteer setting. The person had for nearly 10 years repeatedly complimented me and expressed gratitude for my input on a board on which we served. Within a very brief period of time, there was a dramatic change in our relationship. I sensed a wall had been erected between us. Shortly after this, the person told me that I had spent the last nearly 10 years undermining him, and that my input had been destructive. When I questioned how he could be saying that when he had previously complimented me and thanked me, he said, "Well...I don't think I was lying."
Clearly there was a change in perspective which altered his perception of our interactions. At the time, I said to my husband, "It is as though he has picked up someone else's glasses and is now looking at me through those glasses rather than his own."
What is my point? I have four of them.
1. We need to be aware of our own biases. What are we bringing to the interpretation of a situation?
2. We need to be forgiving. Those who see a situation differently than we do may well be doing the best they can within their context.
3. There is such a thing as "true" truth. I do believe in absolutes. However, we need to be careful not to mix up truth with our opinions.
4. We need to be grateful for the glasses through which God looks at us.
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Isaiah 1:18
The truth about each of us is that we are flawed and sinful. But God's perception is that we are sinless, because his perspective is through the sacrifice of His Son. And that is true truth!
We all interpret what we experience in life within our own context. We bring our unique past background to each new situation. Two people can be in the same place at the same time living through the same moments together and cast those moments in completely different lights. Witnesses to a crime can "see" different things. Family members can remember family events differently. Someone recently told me that she and her brother had read the same article and come away with very different conclusions. An ant crawling around in an oriental rug has a much different perspective than a person standing looking down on it. Hence, they have different perceptions.
Several years ago, I had a very painful experience. I was verbally attacked by someone whom I had considered to be a close friend and coworker in a volunteer setting. The person had for nearly 10 years repeatedly complimented me and expressed gratitude for my input on a board on which we served. Within a very brief period of time, there was a dramatic change in our relationship. I sensed a wall had been erected between us. Shortly after this, the person told me that I had spent the last nearly 10 years undermining him, and that my input had been destructive. When I questioned how he could be saying that when he had previously complimented me and thanked me, he said, "Well...I don't think I was lying."
Clearly there was a change in perspective which altered his perception of our interactions. At the time, I said to my husband, "It is as though he has picked up someone else's glasses and is now looking at me through those glasses rather than his own."
What is my point? I have four of them.
1. We need to be aware of our own biases. What are we bringing to the interpretation of a situation?
2. We need to be forgiving. Those who see a situation differently than we do may well be doing the best they can within their context.
3. There is such a thing as "true" truth. I do believe in absolutes. However, we need to be careful not to mix up truth with our opinions.
4. We need to be grateful for the glasses through which God looks at us.
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Isaiah 1:18
The truth about each of us is that we are flawed and sinful. But God's perception is that we are sinless, because his perspective is through the sacrifice of His Son. And that is true truth!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
To Tell the Truth
I guess there have been times in my life when I have tried to dance around the truth in order to spare someones feelings. But more commonly, I get into trouble for telling the truth too bluntly.
I once promised an employer that I would tell him the truth even when it was not in my best interests to tell it, and even when he didn't really want to hear it. I told him I hoped to be valued for that. I think people in authority ought to appreciate someone who will lay things out for them and not mislead them. Being afraid to speak the truth is really abhorrent to me.
When I was in early grade school our playground was covered with rough stone, and we were not allowed to run in the playground for fear of injury. One day, in my little girl exuberance, I ran a few steps. Within seconds, I felt a rough hand on the back of my collar. An older boy who was assigned as a playground monitor had grabbed me.
He said, "You were running!"
Trembling I replied, "No, I wasn't. I didn't run."
I immediately hated myself not just for lying, but for lying out of fear. That bothered me for years and may have provided me with the compulsion to blurt out the truth when no one wants to hear it. It turns out that this is viewed as a character flaw.
However, having a reputation as a truth-teller no matter what has been advantageous in the past couple of days. My mother-in-law has recently made considerable progress in recovering from the stroke she suffered at the beginning of April. Yesterday when I told her how well she was doing and what an improvement I could see, she said, "When anyone else tells me that, I think they are just flattering me. When you tell me, I believe it." She seemed genuinely encouraged, and I was delighted that she knew I would give it to her straight.
It's nice to know that sometimes this character "flaw" can be of benefit.
I once promised an employer that I would tell him the truth even when it was not in my best interests to tell it, and even when he didn't really want to hear it. I told him I hoped to be valued for that. I think people in authority ought to appreciate someone who will lay things out for them and not mislead them. Being afraid to speak the truth is really abhorrent to me.
When I was in early grade school our playground was covered with rough stone, and we were not allowed to run in the playground for fear of injury. One day, in my little girl exuberance, I ran a few steps. Within seconds, I felt a rough hand on the back of my collar. An older boy who was assigned as a playground monitor had grabbed me.
He said, "You were running!"
Trembling I replied, "No, I wasn't. I didn't run."
I immediately hated myself not just for lying, but for lying out of fear. That bothered me for years and may have provided me with the compulsion to blurt out the truth when no one wants to hear it. It turns out that this is viewed as a character flaw.
However, having a reputation as a truth-teller no matter what has been advantageous in the past couple of days. My mother-in-law has recently made considerable progress in recovering from the stroke she suffered at the beginning of April. Yesterday when I told her how well she was doing and what an improvement I could see, she said, "When anyone else tells me that, I think they are just flattering me. When you tell me, I believe it." She seemed genuinely encouraged, and I was delighted that she knew I would give it to her straight.
It's nice to know that sometimes this character "flaw" can be of benefit.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Faith, Reason, Truth
Faith and Reason are twin lenses through which we can look at the fascinating world in which we live. They are equally important filters through which we can pour the never ending stream of information which is available to us in a quest to shake out the nuggets which are Truth.
The person of Faith should not ignore Reason. If one believes in God as Creator, he should recognize that God gave man a mind quite purposely, expecting him to use it. Not pouring information through the filter of Reason results in a shapeless mass of disjointed emotion, totally impractical for surviving the world.
The person of Reason should not ignore Faith. Believing in order, logic and science is all well and good, but it has limitations. Much of what is beautiful and connects with our spirits is not easily explained by Reason alone. A sunset or a symphony can be explained in scientific terms, but how and why do we appreciate their beauty? Not pouring information through the filter of Faith results in a rigid structure not suited for real life.
Exercising Faith and Reason together allows a rich and never-ending appreciation for all that swirls around us. It allows us to grasp what is trustworthy and solid out of chaos and information overload. It is man’s only shot at finding Truth.
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