Popping Bubbles

Breaking through Christian fantasy and searching for Truth

Truth. Real, solid, unchanging Truth. It is the rarest, most sought after, most valuable thing in existence. How many of us actually know the Truth? Is what you claim to know opinion? Belief? Assumption? Or is it that incredibly elusive thing called Truth?

The Truth is a wonderful thing. It lights up the darkness inside us, shows up all our petty pride and self-glorification to be the pitiful lie it really is. It can be cold and hard and shows no mercy in revealing us to ourselves. It does not conform to our wishes and will not go away on command.

Consequently, we often dislike Truth. It has a way of making us uncomfortable, so we run from it. We retreat as far as possible into our fantasies and try to shut out the blinding light that would expose us.

In order to hide from this revealing Truth, we form those little things called opinions – unsupported beliefs that we call “true” simply because we hold them. They change when we want them to. They never disagree with us and are generally much kinder than that nasty, unrelenting Truth. We can spit them out when we want to sound intelligent or want to point out some flaw in someone else. All the while we conveniently avoid any ideas that might damage our all-too-precious self-esteem.

If you think this doesn’t describe you, then next time you are talking with someone, count how many times you say, “I think,” “I personally believe,” or “I would say that…” Then look at what you are saying and try to figure out why you think it, believe it, or would call it true. You will be surprised at how often you say things are true simply because you want them to be. You will also be surprised if you notice how quickly you begin to search for evidence to support your opinion. All of this is as true of myself as anyone else. When we honestly examine ourselves, we can see that if the Almighty God did not pursue us, we would stay forever in the deep, dark holes we dig for ourselves.

So where do we find this Truth? God is Truth. Truth is not God, but God is Truth. He is unchangeable, unshakeable, and eternal. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6). What He creates only He can destroy. What He wills shall come to pass. His Word is true and cannot be undone.

God has revealed Truth in His Word. We just have to search for it. We must be willing to open ourselves up and accept it. It is not Truth’s job to change to suit us. Instead, it is our job to accept and conform to Him. When we do this, our world is turned upside down. The Lord God enters our lives and begins to grow our will into His. It is wonderful and terrible at the same time, infinitely joyful and excruciatingly painful. All the little bubbles of fantasy we build around ourselves cannot continue to exist when we accept the Truth.

This column is called “Popping Bubbles.” Now you know why. I do not intend to be the one popping bubbles, though. That is Truth’s job. I just hope that the Lord will use the things I write to pop the fantasies in your life and bring you closer to the Truth that He is. I will not try to offend, but I will search for Truth rather than opinion. The things you read here may offend you, stretch you, challenge you, or even hurt you. I heard someone say once that Truth is supposed to hurt. That’s how you can tell when you don’t have it.

So if what you hear hurts, then think. If your opinions are challenged, then test them against the Word of God. If you are offended, ask why. And if you are stretched, then thank your Loving Creator for bringing you closer to the Truth.

- Warner Richardson