Trusting Your Inner-Truth Radar

Is it just me, or is the world more confusing than ever? Nations and religions are divided among themselves. Tastes are outrageously fickle. What was fashionable yesterday is scorned today. (Actually, that’s not new. The typical “15 minutes of fame” everyone tries for has been cut down to about five minutes.) Truth is often considered to be relative and flexible.

Here’s the prevailing attitude: we should go with what works for us, never minding how it affects others. Priorities and values are strictly a personal choice.

There are just too many options out there, good and bad. We can get distracted, unfocused, and completely lose our way. It’s crucial now, more than ever, to stand by what we know to be reality.

Point Deer, Make Horse

The Chinese find valuable life lessons in almost anything. Here is the story behind the above image as written on scifiwright.com:

Note from the article: The Chinese characters in the image literally translate as “Point deer, make horse.”  However, the symbol for “make” can more literally be translated as “to transform”. Therefore the accurate description of the phrase is “Calling a deer a horse.”

Zhao Gao was contemplating treason but was afraid the other officials would not heed his commands, so he decided to test them first. He brought a deer and presented it to the Emperor but called it a horse. The emperor laughed and said, “Is the chancellor perhaps mistaken, calling a deer a horse?” Then the emperor questioned those around him. Some remained silent, while some, hoping to ingratiate themselves with Zhao Gao, said it was a horse, and others said it was a deer. Zhao Gao secretly arranged for all those who said it was a deer to be brought before the law and had them executed instantly.

The Emperor’s New Clothes

This is a short tale written by Hans Christian Andersen in the 1800s. Since then, it has been the basis for countless books, movies, and musicals. The story deals with two con-artist weavers who promise their monarch a new suit. The weavers tell him the new set of clothes will be so astounding and exclusive that only the “worthy” people will be able to discern it.

Upon the alleged completion of the project, the con artists parade the emperor around the city. Everyone is stunned and confused. Their monarch is completely naked; there is no new suit. What are they supposed to do? They don’t want to get in trouble. On top of that, maybe their eyes are deceiving them.  Perhaps they can’t trust their own vision. Depending on the version of the story, the residents of the city are paralyzed into inaction.

The only person who has the courage to speak up is a boy. He courageously believes his own senses. He is also willing to fight for what he knows is the truth. This young man shouts that his monarch has on no clothes at all.

My Conclusion

The world sends us mixed messages. It is often hard to judge the accuracy of what we see and hear. Many authorities bend the truth in order to promote their own agendas. This confusion is no mistake.

John 8:44 “…He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

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“Satan is merely trying to steer you off course.”—T.D Jakes, Identity

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“If the enemy cannot distract you with lies, he will even try to use the truth against 

you…we must be aware of his tactics…”—T.D. Jakes, Identity

Do you believe your inner truth?