Christian Ramblings

Imagine walking into a room and you look down at the floor and you notice you are standing in a large puddle of water. So you roll up your sleeves and go out and get a mop and a bucket and you then proceed to mop up the water, problem solved. The next day you see the water has reappeared in the same spot and once again you go get the mop and bucket and mop up the water. Again the following day, you see the water on the floor, but there is more of it. You think to yourself, “This is stupid, a mop is not going to cut it.” So you go out and buy a wet vac so you can automate the clean up. This works for many days, but after a while even the wet vac can’t keep up with the water. So you go out and hire experts to advise you on how to deal with the water and they advise you to install a permanent water extraction system capable of moving many gallons of water.

The obvious question to ask in our hypothetical scenario is why it didn’t occur to anybody to turn off the faucet? It seems so obvious, but that is precisely what occurs over and over in the lives of people. We seek to cure the symptoms without dealing with the root cause.

The reason we tend to overlook the root cause of a problem is because we do not want to acknowledge that we may be the source of the problem. To do so is to acknowledge we have tossed the truth aside for the sake of not appearing guilty. In other words, there is an emotional payoff for turning a blind eye because we like the position that the circumstances affords us. Like a child throwing a temper tantrum to draw attention to himself, so likewise is ignoring the root cause of the problem. The problem is that this temporary relief does not last.

This brings us to the core problem which is acknowledging the truth. Jesus said,”If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) In this statement is the key for achieving true freedom. If you identify the lie that binds and replace it with the truth, it is like turning off the faucet.

Consider a married couple that is experiencing difficulties. Usually you will find them in a state of pointing fingers at each other. They are in a viscous circle where they are seeking to hurt each other. If they recognize that they are responsible for there own acts and work on rectifying the problems they personally caused, then hope springs forth. The lie in such a situation is that the other person is responsible for causing them to behave badly. The truth is we are all responsible for own actions and that is the only thing we have control over.

So it is important to be able recognize truth and lies. Whatever situation we find ourself in, recognizing the lie that binds us is the first step to walking in freedom. So if you are counseling someone and they are involved in repetitive destructive behavior, treating the symptoms will not stop the destructive behavior because the motivation behind their behavior is a lie which they believe as truth. Since we are designed by God to follow truth, when we believe a lie as truth we will go to any length to maintain the status quo. It is when the Spirit of God reveals our hypocrisy to our mind that we reach a critical junction where we choose between lies and truth.

God’s purpose is to lead us into all truth and all counseling that does not lead to God’s purpose is just noise. If you are reading this and you are involved in a destructive behavior, ask yourself what lie you are living that motivates you to continue this behavior. If you are counseling someone and they just want to wallow in their misery, point them towards the truth. Cleaning up the water on the floor will be an endless task until the someone turns off the faucet. Turning off the faucet is as simple as acknowledging the truth.

So what is the ultimate truth? Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)