Jeremiah 7:8 (KJV)
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
A few years ago, a relative called to wish me a happy 42nd birthday. The problem with his birthday wish was that I was turning 43, not 42. I thanked him for the flattery, but I was too modest to accept his well wishes when they were not grounded in the truth. My relative stood his ground and informed me that I was the one who was not grounded in the truth. He insisted that I was indeed 42, and he was right! I know this may seem strange, but I really believed I was 42, turning 43. So the question is… where did 41 go? How could I have spent an entire year living like a 42 year-old, when all along I was only 41?
Sometimes we think that whatever we believe is the truth, and we refuse to listen to anything that opposes that “truth.” When we do this, we stand to lose out on making sound decisions based on reality, which can result in every decision we make being a bit off center and never fitting in its proper place.
You know that piece of the puzzle that almost fits in a certain space? It’s just a little off, and you don’t figure it out until the puzzle is complete, it doesn’t quite look right, and a few pieces are still left over that don’t fit anywhere. In the words of one of our great thinkers, “It’s tragic to have enough information to believe you are right, but not enough information to know you are wrong.”
Before you plant your feet on something you believe is true, make sure it is the truth.
