But all (intentionally or not) have a message, a "truth" that they are trying to sell. And it feels like more and more, these are messages that are straying further and further from the ultimate Truth of God.
So what do we do with that? We want to love all people, but can we really do that while still holding to the real Truth that goes against so much of our current culture? When the world is saying "everything is true if you want it to be", how do we stand strong calling out the lies of the enemy? When the people ask where our God is in the midst of all the tragedies, pandemics, shootings, politics, hatred, racism, poverty, how do we hold on and believe that God is good, that He is enough to satisfy?
So what do we do with that? We want to love all people, but can we really do that while still holding to the real Truth that goes against so much of our current culture? When the world is saying "everything is true if you want it to be", how do we stand strong calling out the lies of the enemy? When the people ask where our God is in the midst of all the tragedies, pandemics, shootings, politics, hatred, racism, poverty, how do we hold on and believe that God is good, that He is enough to satisfy?
Cry to God
In January 2021, a word that sums up so much of our current state is turmoil: a state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty; great anxiety. All the way back in time, David could say to us, "I feel you, bro."
In Psalm 43, David lays out his fear, distress, and anxiety:
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”
It is often a lonely and personal struggle when the mind goes to war—and that is why it is so dangerous. It has been said before that to be passive in thought is the easiest way to drown. Because doubt is a quiet whisperer and a sneaky silencer, it cannot be fought if it is not addressed.
David follows up his question with the simple resolution:
“Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”
When we reach out to God, crying “I don’t understand, I need help, my faith is failing!” doubt loses its strategy of loneliness. When doubt reaches out, seeking mercy and grace, it ceases to be doubt. Instead, it becomes faith.
Seek the Truth
David faced many a struggle in his time, and his reaction to turmoil was consistently the same—to pour out his doubts and fears, and then lift his eyes and cry out for mercy from God and to find strength in His character. So many of David's psalms that started with turmoil and doubt ended with praise and proclamation of God's Truth.
But to proclaim the Truth to ourselves, we need to know the Truth, we need to be actively absorbing it (Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."). This is why we are encouraged to seek after truth and to search the Bible and compare it to what we are hearing (Acts 17:11 "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true").
Not as the world
The world is full of thoughts, ideas and agendas, but it is definitely not full of wisdom. Many ideas of the world are designed to tug on our heartstrings, to make us feel good, to capture our attention (and our bank accounts), to promise our pleasure and comfort.
But Jesus doesn't ever try and fit that mould. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
I think a key aspect of working through our doubts is remembering that God's Truth doesn't make sense when viewed through the lenses of our current culture. God's Truth is counter-culture, or actually we should say, culture is counter God's Truth.
Jesus said in His prayer in John 17, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world." Jesus knew that following Him meant we would never fit in, that His perfect design could never fit the mould of the world.
Trying to make Truth fit into our culture is a burden that we need to lay down. And as we become more comfortable with the concept of "not of the world", "not as the world", I think it will become increasingly easier to stand strong in God's Truth. Not that we won't ever doubt, but that we will be quicker to take that doubt to our God and ask for His Truth to prevail.
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