Truth

Have you ever noticed that feelings are quite complicated? When someone asks me, "how are you doing," I can now honestly say that I really, really have to think about it (or to put it bluntly, to be honest about it). If you've ever studied the science of guitar harmonics, you'll realize that one note on a scale is actually comprised of other notes that are "hidden" in the tone. It's quite amazing. In comparison, I believe the human psyche to be quite like the nature of musical notes. When one feeling is examined or drawn out, there are "hidden" feelings under that feeling. A feeling, if you will, is the sum of feelings - just as a note is the sum of other notes.

If someone, for instance, tells you that he/she is depressed, there are likely many emotions that are contributing factors to the feeling of depression. Perhaps they also feel anxious or angry or guilty underneath the surface feeling of sadness. Essentially, we can erect defense mechanisms inside that forbid us for seeing the true feeling beneath another to "protect" ourselves.

Scott Peck, the author of "The Road Less traveled," said that not dealing with the true feeling (denial) can lead to certain mental illness. Therefore, unresolved and neglected issues in our lives can cause us to feel anger, depression or anxiety. The critical issue then for a person to discover is not really the feeling, but rather the truth behind the feeling he/she withholds from the conscious mind - namely, reality. It is only when we deal with reality that we truly begin to understand how to love.

We hate to be exposed by truth because it causes suffering. Yet, look at the end result of truth and denial: Truth brings pain, yes - yet it also yields healing in the hands of God. Denial causes pain, and in the end has no healing - it is a fruitless method of living.

Jesus of Nazareth told his disciples that the "truth" would set them free when they knew it. What most people don't know, however, is that the "truth" Jesus referred to was Himself (as you might have noticed, the truth in life often gets us in trouble, it doesn't set us free). So we are dealing with a God who deals in truth.

God the Father dealt with us in reality when He pointed out our sin in the Law (we began to understood that there IS One who is higher than ourselves). Jesus Christ dealt in reality as He bled sweat drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, the Spirit calls us to reality in Christ. He calls us to it constantly. Have you ever noticed? He calls us to be authentic in our relationship with God; He calls us to be authentic with all relationships of the heart. He calls us to be authentic within ourselves (to thine own self...).

I remember listening to Tony Compolo speak about how human beings are the sum of our presentations. We present a different person to our family than to our coworkers, our church family, our community. As soon as we change audiences, we know exactly who to put on. What would it be like to be the same person in all stages with all audiences? God make us true!

The fact is, He's calling me to it. He's correcting us as we lay on his operating table. The problem with His table is that there is no anesthetic. It hurts. Yet there is a peace, knowing that it's all in His great design, and we fit into it somehow. Me. You. We are extremely loved and cherished. That God would take time to lead us in truth (even painful truth). God, continue to show us what lies beneath.