BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
-- John 8:31-32
THOUGHT: I think that truth is a fascinating concept. Just speaking from a personal level, the idea of truth (which, I think is different than the idea of 'being right'), has had a huge impact on my life. Maybe some of you can resonate. Truth is rooted in the same word as 'trust', something which some of us probably find really hard, but which is absolutely essential to loving relationships. We trust that people love us and want the best for us, we trust that we are liked and that we matter, we trust the people we are in relationships with as a way of loving them and receiving love from them. But in a competitive world, it's so easy to get sucked into untruths about ourselves-- untruths that make us feel lonely, neglected, hurt, insignificant, powerless, discouraged, or despairing. These false things can be really oppressive to live with. It's as if lies can come to have authority in our lives-- dictating the way we think, talk, and act, and pushing us further and further away from life, with all of its joy and love and freedom.
I think that right here, Jesus gets this. He gets that living with lies is oppressing, and that truth is necessary, that trust is necessary. And that trust is hard-- when we feel beat down, our first reaction is to curl up in defeat, not to stand up and insist on hoping, trusting, etc. He understands this feeling of hurt ad has compassion for it, which is why he teaches us to step, one step at a time, into love, and grace, and forgiveness. So he tells the people who are trusting him to follow his teachings, gently encouraging them to stand up strong against whatever lies they've been told in their lives in this world. He wants to love people into being empowered and totally free.
The cool thing is that when we defeat lies and decide to stand up even when everything inside us is telling us to stay in a position of defeat, we grow stronger, and we become empowered, and we stand up and step into that freedom of knowing true things about ourselves. We take back authority over our lives from whatever false things were keeping us down. And we can win that fight. YOU can win that fight. You can stand up!
CHALLENGE: This week, the challenge is to stand up for truths in your lives and in the people you love. Choose to trust truth.
This might mean making a mental decision to stand up and shove off any voices you might have that are telling you discouraging, unloving, despairing things. Be encouraged now, you can silence those voices, and you can discern what is actually true about you and just how loved and wonderful and not alone you are. Here are two songs I've found helpful for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf7wtB1TGV0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNHmA9a2gI
This might mean reflecting on your actions, thoughts, and words, and searching out any patterns of thought that aren't based on truth, and pulling out one main lesson that you want to work, then posting this in an obvious place in your life: writing it on a mirror, making it your desktop background, posting it above your bed. Make it something encouraging, that reminds you to hope, or to love, or to trust, or that you are loved (and even liked!).
Or, it might mean making a decision in a relationship that is based on a trust that you might think you feel too hurt to give. Trust that there is love, that God creates possibilities for reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration even when it feels impossible. Insist on hope, and love those whom it feels hard to love.
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