4 minute read
What’s The Truth?
from April 2022
Gò0dNews for Everyone
What’s The Truth?
Advertisement
by Susan Lavigne
While rooming with a friend during my college days, we both went to bed around 10 p.m. because of our early morning schedules. This was before cell phones, so we only had one phone hanging on the kitchen wall. One night, my roommate came into my room around 11:30 p.m. I was so sound asleep that I didn’t hear the phone ring. She said, “Susan, the phone is for you.” Now, since I didn’t hear the phone, I proceeded to tell my roommate that she was dreaming and to go back to bed. She was very unhappy with my assessment of the situation and more forcefully said, “Susan, the phone is for you!”
Showing incredible compassion for this poor friend who was obviously having a bad dream, I continued trying to convince her that everything was okay and she just needed to go back to bed. At this point, she totally lost patience with me and said, “SUSAN, YOU GET OUT OF YOUR BED AND PICK UP THE PHONE IN THE KITCHEN!” Shocked by her words, I got out of bed to answer the phone. I was even more shocked to hear a person’s voice on the other end of the telephone.
As with my situation, sometimes our perceptions of what we believe and what is the truth clash. It’s like waking up one morning thinking it’s a workday when it’s actually the weekend. It’s hard to change your belief when you don’t recognize the truth.
A biblical example of this problem with perception happened to the apostle Paul in his early days (when he was known as Saul). He persecuted the new church of Christian believers. You see, he was zealous to do “God’s work” and truly believed he was doing God a favor by ridding the Jews of this new religious cult. Although he was passionate, his perception was not the truth of what God wanted. When his eyes were literally opened to the truth, he found a new mission, this time in support of the church he had previously persecuted. All of us develop different perceptions from our experiences and emotions. We then develop expectations about life from what we were taught or saw modeled. For example, we may have expectations of what our spouse needs, or more often, what we expect from our spouse. However, sometimes conflicts arise when our expectations differ from another. So, where is the truth in our perceptions? As a Christian, when I am struggling with the truth of my perceptions, the best thing I can do is seek out God’s Word on the issue and listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Sometimes, guidance comes in the form of wise Christian counsel. Trust me, God wants us to know the truth and will do whatever it takes to help us know it, even if it has to come from a friend shouting at us to pick up the phone.
About The Author Susan Lavigne attends Cornerstone Church. She is a Christian speaker and songwriter. Feel free to contact her at susanclavigne@gmail.com.
Christian Magazine
Mission Statement: Writer Guidelines:
We believe when people are equipped, motivated, and passionately engaged in living out their faith in Jesus Christ they have the potential to be world changers.
Our mission is to bring people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ—a relationship that empowers them to see how God can work through individual personalities, situations, and talents. Christ was an activist, he did not neglect the needs of the people as He brought His message. We strive to encourage everyone to look more like Christ by reaching outside of themselves to serve the needs of others—at home, at school, in communities, and across the world.
goodnewscm.com Phone: 423.478.6484
Who: Our writers range from pastors, professors, and professional writers to stay at home moms and dads, business professionals, and others who have a desire to reach out to people through words of encouragement.
What: We believe that it is important to laugh together, praise each other, encourage one another, and to offer biblical advice. Articles can be directed toward everyone, or from woman to woman, or man to man. We love to share recipes and family traditions as well. We ask that articles be kept to a 500 word maximum. We’d love to hear from you!
Where: Please send submissions to
articles.goodnews@gmail.com
Why: Because God has not intended for us to just survive. We believe that we are intended to reach out to love and encourage each other. God has brought each of us through tough times, blessed us, and made the “impossible” possible. Let’s, together, share the love of Jesus Christ.
