We live in a world where people believe in ‘relative’ truth. ‘If that’s what you feel, it’s true for you,’ people say. This is often a cover for nonsense, for truth is not some flimsy feeling which can be bent to our will.
Yesterday my granddaughter wanted to take a large soft toy with her on her journey to school. That would mean me having the toy afterwards (since she is not allowed soft toys in school). I refused to take the toy since I was out for much of the day and had other responsibilities which meant lugging a large unicorn around was neither practical nor advisable.
Rebekah was devastated and accused me of hating her toy. In her mind, the only reason I would not accommodate what was to her a simple and uncomplicated request was because I hated the toy. (She did not actually get as far as saying as I hated her, but this is often how we feel about God when He refuses a request of ours!) I pointed out that she could not say what I loved or hated and explained my reasons for refusing her request, but she was adamant that it was because I hated the toy. She ascribed feelings and motives to my actions which were simply not true, and she refused to listen to anything I said.
This relatively trivial example illustrates for me society’s attitude to truth. We believe what we feel over and above any objective evidence set before us. We are emotional and irrational at times, which is dangerous enough as it is, but when we apply this to other people, being determined that our interpretation of their actions is accurate, we risk misunderstanding and this can lead to division and enmity. I was irritated to be told I hated a toy when the truth was I liked the toy well enough (what’s not to like about a soft, cuddly, rainbow unicorn?!) but could not carry it around all day on top of everything else I had to carry (including having a smart trike and a 2 year old to manage…)
So often we believe our version of ‘truth’ above God. Elijah, after three years in hiding from Ahab, came to face the king and the prophets of Baal on God’s command. (1 Kings 18) He felt that he was the only prophet of God left. Even when God vindicated him and sent fire to demonstrate His power over the false god Baal, he felt alone and vulnerable (1 Kings 19).
But he was mistaken in this belief. God told him that there were 7000 people in Israel whose knees had not bowed to other gods and gave him another helper, Elisha, a reminder that he was not actually on his own at all. God sees the whole picture and knows everything. We do not. Our blinkered view may suggest one truth. Our feelings may scream at us that this interpretation of what we see is true. But the actual, objective truth may be something completely different, and we need God and His word to direct us to truth, so that we do not, in fact, end up believing a lie.
