7 Observations about The Truth

The truth word in letterpress type stock photo What is truth? People don’t know and don’t wan to know. Here are 7 observations that I have made concerning truth.

1. We live in a truth-is-relative culture. People often say, “What is truth for you may not be truth for me,” as though truth is personal and individualized.
2. There is no subjectivity to the truth. There is no wiggle room. Truth is not based on opinion or polls or governing bodies. The truth is truth.
3. Our society values tolerance over truth. Tolerance used to be: you have your opinion. I have my opinion. We are free to express our opinions. Today, tolerance is you have your opinion I have my opinion. I am free to express my opinion but if your opinion differs from my opinion you must be silent. If you choose to state your opinion I will label it hate speech. The church, too often, has caved into the new definition of tolerance and allowed a segment of society to silence truth.
4. The truth is offensive. The old adage is true: “The truth hurts.” It especially hurts when sin is confronted and morality needs to change.
5. The church has overcompensated with love at the expense of justice. The danger with love and grace is that if they are not balanced by righteousness and holiness sin is tolerated. It is often expressed this way, “If you love me, you wouldn’t condemn me. You would let me express myself however I want.” By the way, those who advocate same-sex partnerships always frame their argument on the basis of love, never on the basis of truth. (And, the first one to frame the argument usually wins.)
6. Confronting others with the truth, especially to those we love, is not judgmental. In fact, it can be the most loving thing one can do. Often, it is needed and necessary. Otherwise, they continue down a destructive and deadly path.
7. Most of us don’t receive the truth well. Why? It’s easier to be duped, succumb to lies, believe who talks the loudest, and continue to drift away from the truth.

About Rick Ezell

I am a husband, father, pastor, and writer. This blog is about shaping character, transforming church, and impacting culture. I believe that if one defines their moments then their moments will determine their character and their character will influence their world. I write on personal development, church leadership, and our changing culture. I also write about the resources I am developing and the books I am writing. My goal is to create challenging, relevant, and inspiring content that will help you be a better person, the church be a better parish, and the world a better place. If you are interested in those things, this blog is for you. I have served the church my entire career as a student minister and senior pastor. I studied at Samford University, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (eventually I will get it). I have written eight books. My most recent ones are Chapter 13: The Excellence of Love and Soul Therapy: The Healing Words of Psalm 23. Both are available as eBooks. I have written over 1000 articles for various local, regional, and national publications. I have been married to Cindy for thirty-three years. We have one wonderful daughter. We live in Greenville, SC. In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, running, tennis, and golf. You can contact me via email or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. This is my personal blog. The opinions I express here do not necessarily represent those of my employer. The information I provide is on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.

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