believing what we know to be true...

have you ever heard information that contradicted what you knew to be true...but since it seemed to be from a trustworthy source...you readily believed it? have you even shared that information with friends and family...only later to realize that you had been misled and misinformed?

today's culture does an excellent job of sending us wrong information...misleading us about right and wrong...and convincing us that their opinion is accurate...

take tolerance...for example...the term "tolerance" seems to imply...by today's standards...that anything and everything is morally equivalent...society tries to convince people that the truth is relative...open for interpretation...and apt to be changed if anyone wants it to be different...

with this in mind...and due to the fact that there is a smorgasbord of beliefs to choose from...it is imperative that christians stay keenly aware of whether or not we are believing what we know...versus believing what we hear...

the bible clearly states that God set moral laws for His people...and the outline of what is right and wrong is written with great clarity...knowing that...do we allow ourselves to be swayed by information that does not line up with God's word? do we follow the crowd...even when it is operating on inaccurate information? do we act on questionable truths...just because it seems that everyone else believes it to be true?

as believers...we have the incredible responsibility of being sure that we place what the bible says over what well-intentioned (even trustworthy or respected) people may say...if we doubt that the bible is the one absolute truth...what other source of truth are we looking to?

1 thessalonian 5:21 says, "don't suppress the Spirit...and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master...on the other hand...don't be gullible...check out everything...and keep only what's good...throw out anything tainted with evil..." (msg) the thing that is good...is what is written in the bible...the inspired word of God...

if you ever question whether or not something you hear is true...and before you share it with others who could be influenced by your statements...check it out against God's word...the truth will be confirmed in the scriptures...and that is a source you can believe in...

in this day and age...i truly believe it is so important to be strong in knowledge of the word...it is what gives you the inner strength to stand up for what is right in God's eyes...even if it goes against the consensus opinion of what is right and tolerated in the eyes of man...

i want to be that person who influences others with His truth...