27 Sep, 2011
For Real?!
I read a story tonight that a friend of mine posted on Facebook. It was completely heart-wrenching and left me, literally, in tears as I sat in Starbucks. Seriously, I have no idea what the people around me must've thought as I sat there, alone, wiping my eyes as I stared at my computer screen. It was a story about a little boy who was buying a doll for his little sister (who had died) because he wanted his mom (who was dying) to give it to her when she saw her in Heaven. Have you heard it? I started wondering, the skeptic that I am, "Is this story even true?? Am I bawling in Starbucks over a fictional little boy, or did he and his family ever really exist?!"
I didn't waste a minute. I immediately went to Snopes.com to find out for myself. Ever heard of Snopes? I use it often. Every time I get one of those stories/forwards in my inbox about this, that, or the other I turn to Snopes to find out if it's true. It's a website dedicated to "urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation" (www.snopes.com). It'll let you know the just where the story started, how it's changed over the years, and if it is fact or fiction. It's great. So the next time you hear one of those stories that makes you go, "could that really be true?" check your facts with snopes.com.
The story of the little boy and his sister? Well, Snopes had a hard time saying whether it was true or false: "Nothing in the story lends itself to fact checking; there's no city or date or surname, and thus no starting point suggests itself."
Great.
John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Philippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about truth?
While we will probably never know if the story I read tonight was true or just made up, one thing we do know (and can be assured of) is that God's word is true. Not only are all of the stories in God's Word true, Jesus says that if we know His Word, if we study it, learn it, and teach it to others . . . if we abide (remain) in It, in Him, we will know truth, and we will always be able to discern what is right. What an incredible promise! With all of the lies and accusations satan and the world feed us on a daily basis, if we check our "facts" against scripture and what we know of/about God, we will never be led astray; we will always know what is true and what is right! He is Truth!
How can I connect today's story and God's Story scripture to my life?
How do you process information? Are you one to hear something and immediately accept it as truth? Are you easily swayed by what someone says because you think that person is trustworthy or has your best interest at heart? Do you know God's Word well enough that your "radar" goes off when something doesn't sound "quite right?" If you aren't spending time, regularly, getting to know Christ - abiding in Him - how will you ever know what is true and what is fiction?
- Look at your schedule this week (if you don't have a weekly calendar/schedule written out, write one!) - PLAN (that means, write it on the calendar!) a time to spend with God every day this week. Literally, pencil it in just as you would an appointment with a friend, counselor, or teacher. Make it a point to "make" that appointment every day this week! Start doing this every week as a way of helping you abide in Christ.
- Get creative with your time with Christ! Write out your prayers in a prayer journal; Sing praises to Him; Draw a picture that illustrates what you just read in His Word; Memorize scripture; Write a poem or song about God, or the passage you read that day, etc. All of these things will help you get to know God better, and will help you remember His truth!
How can I connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and my story to others?
Talk to your friends about snopes.com and stories they've heard/read that they weren't sure were true. Use it to start a discussion about how your friends discern what is true and what is not, in the world. What is their measuring tool? Share how you are able to measure everything against God's Word. Share an example in your life of how abiding in Christ has helped you keep from going down the wrong path, or believing the wrong thing. Be sure to give all the glory to Christ - He is the only One who is worthy of it!
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