In a world full of information that is being blasted at us from every angle, how can we really know the truth? There are thousands of opinions out there. Everyone looks at the world through their own perspective which is a product of their own life experiences. We all interpret things differently according to how our brains process the information being taken in. How do we determine truth?
It is very easy to validate your stance on a matter with a simple Google search. You’ll always find what you are looking for. Do you take into consideration the opinion that is opposite to yours? In politics it is called “reaching over party lines”. I think this practice is good for us to see the whole truth rather than a one-sided view and it helps us to understand those whose opinions differ from ours.
So then, are facts truth? Is something true because it is posted on the Internet? Is it true because millions of people agree about it? Is it true because a trusted source said so? Is it true because there are more Google search results supporting it than opposing it? Is it true because it is found at the top of the Google search results?
We see time and time again how something society holds as truth for years and decades can then be proven wrong and we realize we all believed a lie. Oops! Can you imagine the doctor telling you he wants to cut you and let out a good percentage of you blood as a cure for your disease to just to find out later that it was ineffective. But you trusted the doctor because he has training and education in his field of expertise. Blood letting is a good example of how wrong the experts can be. It was common practice but not based on truth.
The truth is that people continue to learn and grow. Change is inevitable and we will be better humans if we learn to embrace it. It can be difficult, however to break out of a routine or tradition we are accustomed to because we often want to stay where it is comfortable. I think even more so, we don’t want to admit we were wrong because it makes us feel unintelligent. For example if a person donated thousands of dollars every year for 20 years to a “trusted”, well-known charity believing that they are making a positive impact on the world but then finds out the charity only gives a small portion of the proceeds to help the causes it represents or even worse, the charity puts the money towards an alternate agenda. This person actually helped to line the pockets of a CEO so that he/she could live a lavish lifestyle. This type of truth becomes very devastating and infuriating to a person. One might go into denial and not want to believe it at first, may defend the charity and find every good thing the charity has done to try to prove the outcome as wrong. It could cause some to become jaded and decide not to give at all due to a lack of trust. Or hopefully it encourages a person to get the word out so that others do not fall into the same trap and moving forward teaches him/her to spend time researching first before believing blindly.
We want to believe people are inherently good, honest and truthful. And we should always give people the benefit of the doubt. It is important to believe in people even before they believe in themselves. The Bible instructs us to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves”.
Diligent research becomes the best friend to truth. Searching thoroughly and with an open mind provides us a well-rounded base upon which we can form an educated decision that something must be true or false. Most of us don’t have oodles of time to research out every subject that interests us. I have been blessed with time in my life to do spend time researching out what interests me. My kids are grown and out of the house and I’m a student in college (for the 3rd time) with a regular monthly income that pays the bills. I don’t watch Netflix or television but rather prefer to spend my extra time researching and learning all that I can. So then do we trust the research of others, such as friends, people like me that are dedicated or leaders in the industry?
There is a secret weapon I use that I haven’t revealed in this article yet. It is a beyond our wildest imagination and something I would love for you and the whole world to grasp and understand. I have been a believer in Jesus Christ for most of my life but I didn’t fully understand the possibilities. When you accept him into your heart, he becomes part of you. He IS truth. He knows everything. When you realize this, you then gain access to all truth. Holy Spirit is the believer’s guide. He is our conscious (as some might describe). About four years ago that I was so frustrated with this life full of lies, deceit and manipulation that I finally tapped into this amazing resources. As I walked and prayed pouring out this frustration to my Heavenly Father it dawned on me to actively start asking for truth. Every day for a year I prayed for truth and that I would not be deceived by anyone. I started testing it out and seeing that if I listen carefully to what Holy Spirit says to me regarding a matter and trust it to be true, it never fails. Today, I try to remember to always turn to Him regarding everything that I see, hear or experience.
It really does feel great to know that the God of the Universe is on my side and is eagerly willing to fulfill all of my desires. I had a desire for truth and He has been delivering it to me daily. We must ask for the things we want and really put our hearts into it (He knows the difference, because remember, He knows everything.) I do my part and spend time researching on the Internet but I don’t do it alone. I have a partner that guides me to all the right answers, the TRUTH.
