Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Jesus, in his confrontation with Pontius Pilate in John 18, said, “…for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” Pilate replied, “What is truth?” It’s hard to tell whether his question was sincere or just dismissive, but the answer was standing right in front of him: Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6).
As a Christian, you should be filtering everything in your life through the only lens of actual truth available: the Bible (John 17:7). The more you study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, the better you will be at discerning truth. You must accept that our daily lives are saturated with deceit – Satan lies to us, the world lies to us, and our flesh lies to us. The only hope you have of being able to make it safely through that minefield is to know The Truth.
As you encounter different situations today, don’t ask yourself “Does it work?” or “How will it make me feel?” That’s pragmatism and emotionalism and it only leads to worldliness. Instead, ask what the Truth of God’s Word would have you say, think, or do. If you don’t know the answer, seek it out! Ask God to give you the wisdom to know His truth on the subject (James 1:5) or get help from a mature Christian or call your Pastor.
Remember: Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31b-32).
Don’t you want to be free of the garbage of this world? Then know the Truth!