What am I talking about? Well, we all have different experiences in life. There are both good and difficult times in our lives…right? However, if we base our life off what happens to us, then our moods, attitudes, and thinking changes as easily as the breeze changes directions. There’s nothing stable about it.
Let’s say you’ve had an amazing experience. You’ve been blessed with gifts you weren’t expecting, people treat you really well, you may hear from God, and etc. These are all great, but if you stay so focused on this specific time and always reliving this moment, then you may compare it to other “good” experiences in the future. It’s dangerous to think “oh this is nothing as to what happened 4 years ago”, and you brush it off. It becomes extremely difficult for you to be satisfied.
Switch the scenario. Imagine a really tough time in your life. Something “bad” really happened to you, or you’re in a very difficult situation. You continue to replay this difficult time in your mind, and base life off of what happened to you. You become bitter, your heart is hardened, you are angry “at the world”, you can’t let it go, and more. Sounds familiar?
I believe both scenarios are very dangerous and difficult to not be stuck in. So what do I suggest? I suggest living by truth rather than by experiences. Even as I type this, I’m challenging myself with this way of thinking. Let truth/the Word be the barometer/way of measuring life instead of what happens to us.
So, what is truth?
Pilate asked Jesus this question. You can read their conversation HERE.
Let’s break this concept down even more from the beginning. John 1:1-5 says “In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That’s pretty deep.
THEN, later in verse 14 it says “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”.
Do you see the connection?
Jesus in John 8:31-32 says “if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”.
Later in John 14:5-7 Thomas was telling Jesus they don’t know where He’s going and how can they know the way? Jesus answers very simply “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as will. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him”.
In conclusion, challenge yourself to live based on Truth rather than by your experiences in life. Truth. Jesus became Truth. Truth will set us free. Jesus is the way and the Truth and the life. It’s an amazing place to be at. It takes some fighting against your flesh to get to this point too. You don’t like my proposition? Ok, go talk to God about it. See what He says.
