Today when I hear on the news, “Scientific research tells us…” I say, “Let me see that study!” The graduate school I went to was on the cutting edge of an area of educational research and I was taught to ask a number of questions about scientific studies to confirm their validity including and most importantly: WHO is doing this study and can I believe them?
I love the meme that says “My desire to be informed is at odds with my desire to remain sane.” Our desire to know truth is bombarded by contradictions with every source touted as science or expert. And we don’t know what is true! The result of this is an unsettled soul. An unsettled soul is the result of wounding of our body, our mind, or our will. This dissonance in within us is painful and exhausting.
If you have listened to my videos on our Facebook page, you have heard me speak about ambiguity and uncertainty. Our need to discern truth in what we hear is an external ambiguity, uncertainty occurring in our environment. We can’t settle that uncertainty because we don’t have the information to discern the truth our heart craves. We feel life is out of control, or at least this part of our life is out of control and we want to withdraw.
A healthy strategy in dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty is doing concrete things that result in a feeling of control. Asking questions about ambiguous information helps us know if what we are hearing is truth or fiction. Think about this:
- Are the people I am listing to known to be honest and of good reputation?
- Have I spent enough time with them or reading them or listening to what they say to know I really want to let them into my life deep enough to influence what I believe?
- Do these people live out the truth they speak? In other words, are they people of integrity?
- What do others, people I respect already, say about them?
In the Old Testament we read about a lot of prophets. Often they were thought to be a bit crazy until the things they said came true and then they were seen to speak truth. The prophet Malachi starts the second chapter of his book this way:
“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.”
Malachi had a good reputation and was honest. He did what he said he was going to do. The Levites listened respectfully and evaluated what he said. I think they tested what Malachi instructed and when it turned out to be true, they passed it on to their people. They didn’t just accept what he said. The result was many people turned from their sin – the result of truth. Malachi was found to be a credible and believable teacher. The people concluded he was a man of truth whose instruction resulted in goodness and righteousness.
Let’s look at those questions again: Am I listening to or reading:
- People with good reputations who are known to be truthful and honest?
- People who live out the truth they speak?
- People I have spent enough time reading about or listening to what they are saying to know I want them to influence my life?
- People who are listened to and respected by people who already bring peace and truth to my life?
When you evaluate what you hear in the news or on social media, keep what is true and right, keep who is true and right and eliminate the rest. Turn them off and don’t let them back in.
Discerning truth takes a bit of time and effort but the payoff will be peace in your soul.
If your heart is unsettled and struggling to find truth these days, it is really ok and good to find someone who can listen to the dissonance you are feeling and help you move forward to a place of peace and joy.
-Becky Neufeld