Sunday Reflection: The Truth?


“‘A deadly jungle spider has migrated to the US and is killing people.’ This was the story sent to me and to others on my friend’s email list. The story sounded plausible—lots of scientific names and real-life situations. But when I checked it out on reliable websites, I found it was not true—it was an Internet hoax. Its truth could only be verified by consulting a trusted source.” –Dave Branon
If you’ve visited either of my blogs regularly, you might remember my over-the-top spider phobia. My fear has caused me to throw my baby at my mother, nearly wreck my car and sleep with my light on in my bedroom for more than a year after spider bite.  Therefore, I believe everything I see on social media about spiders, including the Brazilian spider eggs found in a banana, in the US. With this information, I stopped buying and eating bananas, shared this information with my daughter and bug bombed my house—again.
Overreaction for sure. But why do we believe everything we see on the Internet? Are we that trusting? Or are we that dumb?
More now than ever before, it’s difficult to cull the truth from the lies. However, as Christians, it is our responsibility to seek the truth and ask is ourselves, is what we are being told measure up to God’s word?
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4: 1-4 (NIV)
I may not always want to hear the truth, but I definitely want to know the truth. My prayer is that I will not “turn my ears away from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:4) and that God will give me His spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17) so that I may get it right.
Blessings,
Teresa

Comments

We start with the Bible, which is the Truth, and then seek the truth beyond that.
JoJo said…
For me, with those outrageous stories, I always start with Snopes to see if it's true or not. I see people posting political stuff that is only a small part of the story or quote and taken way out of context. Same thing with bug stories (like the famous one that went around in the 90s about someone digging up and replanting a cactus in their yard, watering it and tarantulas hatched....never happened). But I'm with you on the spider thing. *shudder*
Pat Hatt said…
I believe very little on the internet, but that doesn't stop me from making fun of it
Mason Canyon said…
I agree that we may not want to hear the truth, but we want to know the truth and that is sometimes hard to come by.
When Jesus walked among men in the flesh how sad He must have felt when he saw so many living lies and hurting others with them. As JoJo wrote: Snopes is a good place to check out stories on the Net. Our times are in the Father's Hand and that is a truth that can help us when life hits the rapids.
shelly said…
It's always good to test everything. One can't even trust snopes.com.
Gail said…
Great message. I, sadly, go the opposite direction and believe nothing I hear unless it's there in front of me hitting me on the head.

Have a blessed week.

Popular Posts