As a Matter of Fact

NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM BELIEVING A LIE 

You probably think you want to hear the truth. You likely assume that you despise being deceived. No doubt you are quick to get angry at misrepresentations of facts. We live in an age wary of “fake news.” You know the value of candor, honesty, and accuracy and the danger of falling for lies, propaganda, and misinformation. But is any of that actually true? 

DECODING WISHFUL THINKING 

It is easy to love the truth when it perfectly aligns with predetermined beliefs and opinions. The truth is readily accepted when it fits current lifestyle and morals. But what are you going to do when confronted with a truth that contradicts and counteracts what is long ingrained in our minds? The fact is, many times people would rather believe the veracity of a lie than have their illusions destroyed. People claim to desire truth, but the reality is, only the truths that are easy to get behind, or that position us in a favorable light, are readily accepted. 

There is a reason the saying, “The truth hurts” exists. Actual truth will at some point irritate, outrage, and hurt you. We do not enjoy things that threaten our self-esteem, shatter our pre-existing beliefs, make our life difficult, or diminish our status. It would be tempting to close our eyes to such realities, but doing so won’t drive them away. Admitting our faults and weaknesses is never easy. When the truth hurts us, we want to protect ourselves by shutting it out, refusing to listen, and resisting it even at the cost of willfully believing a lie. We want to discredit those we don’t agree with or that threaten the way we view the world. It seems that truth isn’t what we want. Instead, we want our lifestyle, beliefs, and opinions presented uncritically. 

Truth is self-sustaining, independent of its acceptance. 

SEEING CLEARLY 

Truth is not dependent on whether or not we believe it, however. Heart desire, staunch rejection, or actively ignoring the facts doesn’t change their validity. The truth is the truth and facts are facts whether we accept them or not. Truth is self-sustaining, independent of its acceptance. In John 14:6, Jesus says that He is the truth. Psalm 119:160 says that all of the Bible is truth and that it will last forever. 

These are truths that are going to confront our lifestyle. Jesus and scripture will question how we live, the decisions we make, and even the thoughts that we have. They will entirely shatter our self-esteem by informing us of our despicable nature, which is that we are desperately wicked and broken. That truth tells us that there is nothing that we can do about it on our own. 

LIVING IN FREEDOM 

I’d rather not believe that. I’d like to close my eyes to its existence, but that won’t make it go away. It’s only when I believe that reality that I can possibly have hope. Jesus says He is truth. He also says the truth will set us free (John 8:32, ESV). The truth of Jesus brings the promise of hope and the possibility of redemption and salvation. Choosing to believe a lie can at best give false, brief comfort, but it ultimately leads only to disaster and destruction. 

We know that simple belief in a lie neither makes it true nor eliminates the consequences of accepting the falsehood. Yet we are prone to do it. Instead, we should painstakingly seek the truth because in doing so, there is safety and life.