truth, facts, and feelings

What is the truth?  I often ask myself this question.  My perception of facts and feelings is not always accurate, especially when it's about me.  As a scientist, I am trained to observe and record facts and data and to believe that they are true.  In reality, some "facts" aren't truth.  The numbers that display when I stand on the scale are facts, but they aren't the truth about me...they don't make me more or less valuable.  It's taken nearly 47 years, but I am finally starting to recognize when facts and feelings are are lying to me.

A friend said to me recently, "When I'm with people I don't know, I assume that they aren't going to like me."  Something clicked in my brain at that moment.  I feel the same way.  And suddenly I realized that this feeling is not truth for me any more than it is for my friend. Both of us are surrounded by family and friends who love us, but we fall for the lies that the devil whispers to us trying to shut us down.  If we shut down, we don't fulfill God's purpose and plan, and the enemy wins.

Last spring I wrote in my journal, "My feelings are NOT truth.  They are real, but they are heavily influenced by my perception of the world and the people around me.  The enemy uses deception to muddy my perception and influence my feelings about myself.  It has become a matter of life and death for me to fill myself with God's truth - the only truth!  Everything else is just details!"

My feelings often lie to me.  "You are an inconvenience.  You are more trouble than you are worth.  You are in the way."  I used to listen to the lies and even worse, believe them.  But, now I know the truth!  God's truth!  He says I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  (Psalm 139:14)  He says He loves me so much that He sent His Only Son to die on a cross so that He could have relationship with me!  (John 3:16)  He says I have a purpose and He has good plans for me!  (Jeremiah 29:11)  

The Bible is filled with God's truth about me.  The only way to keep facts and feelings in perspective is to fill my heart and my mind with THE TRUTH.  It's still a battle for me.  I still have to choose every day to fill myself up with God's truth and live in it.  I must choose to believe the truth and deny power to false facts and feelings.  Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is TRUE, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."  I must choose to let my brain think on things that are true...and not on the lies, no matter how real they seem.  

God's truth is the same for each of us.  He made us in His image!  He loves us!  He has good plans for us!  He gives us good gifts!  I choose God's truth and I pray that you will too!