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All day long I am continually being assaulted by messages. I wake up to music on the radio. I watch the morning news on television. Sometimes, I read the newspaper. On my way to work I drive past hundreds of signs from marquees and billboards to store and road signs. I like to listen to talk radio –either political news or Christian talk shows. In my job I am frequently on the Internet. I get email all day long. When I'm not working I enjoy reading books and magazines. On the weekends I go to church and hear my Pastor's sermon. I talk with my family, my friends, my coworkers, and my neighbors. All day, every day, information comes at me. Do I believe every thing I encounter?

No. But how can I filter all this information? How do I know what is truth and what is simply a matter of opinion… possibly even deception?

We've continually been told we live in the information age. Each day I believe this becomes truer than the day before because of advancing technology. We have more ways to communicate than ever before… from email, text messaging, instant messaging, voice mail, and whatever new technology is around the corner in hopes of making our lives easier.

So, what is a person to do? There are days when I am simply overloaded. I don't want to see another email, hear another phone ring, or even have another person call my name. I must turn off all the noise and sit quietly. It is in those moments I draw near to God and seek truth from Him. I find myself doing this more and more these days.

Early in my Christian walk I used to believe almost every teaching I heard. Sadly, I did not know how much I needed discernment. If it sounded good, I usually believed it. Many times I was led astray by false teachings. I don't remember a specific occasion of becoming aware of my need for discernment, but I do recall a few situations where I had a hard time believing what another person was telling me about God's Word and I was unsure of what was true. It led me down the best path I could ever have found myself on… the path of seeking truth.

I didn't want to just hear what God's Word said from someone else (whether this person was a Pastor or simply a friend). I wanted to read God's word for myself and understand what it said. (Even the Bereans in the book of Acts were commended for examining what Paul taught.)

At first, it was very confusing to me. Some of the language in the Bible didn't make a lot of sense to me. But I didn't give up. I found different Bible translations that made it easier to read. I found Bibles that had study notes and life application notes, which were very useful. I bought Bible dictionaries and Bible commentaries. My search didn't end there. With the information available to use via the Internet, I sought out web sites, like Studylight, that contained a wealth of information at my fingertips.

While all these tools are wonderful and valuable… we are not to rely solely on the teaching of others. If you are seeking truth, the greatest source of it can be found in one place… the Bible.

But we are not alone in determining God's word. If you have invited Jesus into your heart to be Lord of your life, then you have also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide and direct you as you study God's truth.

In today's world, where there is so much information coming from so many different directions, it is often hard to figure out who to listen to, who to believe. The only thing I have blind faith in is God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. I want every thing that comes into my life to be filtered through the lens of God and His truth.

How do I do that, you might ask? Well, I'd like to share with you an illustration that made a significant impact on me. Several years ago I read a book entitled Classic Christianity, by Bob George. (It's an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to everyone.) In this book George gives an incredible illustration of "truth" concerning a story about counterfeit money. In order for bank tellers to easily spot a counterfeit bill you might expect them to study counterfeit bills so they can recognize them.

However, this is not the case. Instead, they spend enormous amounts of time studying the "real thing." Their ability to recognize the "real thing" makes it much easier for them to spot a "fake" when it crosses their path.

This principle can easily be applied when it comes to the truth in scriptures. If you don't know what the "real thing" looks like, you won't know a "fake" when it comes your way.

I encourage you to seek God's truth, study His word, and make this a priority in your life. You will not regret it. It will be the best investment of your time you could possibly make. Once you know the "real thing" – you'll easily spot a fake… that often looks good and sounds good, but just isn't quite what it should be.

Let God's Word – the "real thing" – be the filter you look through. His truth will never lead you astray.

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (October 4, 2010)