Search for Truth

While spending time with people, I get into some really awesome, in-depth conversations with them.
Some of my favorites include:

What our greatest wish is?
What makes us insanely happy?
What we believe makes the world go around?
How do we change the world?

My favorite as of lately has been…
Where do you look for truth?

It really astounds me when I hear about some of the areas that we look towards when we're trying to find truth to our own lives.

In this particular conversation, people were looking to the fiction book "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown for truth for their idea of saving grace. Then another person shared about making a mix of their own religion with Buddhism, Yoga, and personal meditation. Then yet another really thought that by watching a mentor from pop culture it would help them decide where to find truth.

Their stories broke my heart, as I was reminded of how many people don’t even know where or how to find the one and only truth.

Perhaps this isn’t something you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about before. Start with making a list of the truths that drive your life.

Top 3 truths in my life:

· Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior died for my sins
· My life’s purpose each day is to Glorify God
· i am loved deeply by Him.


How do you decide what truth is?

Each of us have our own ‘truth’ filters that we use each day, but a true examination of ourselves must reveal how we decide on truth. Are there people in your life that you depend on to decide on truth? Are you dependent on media?


Reading in 1 Kings 3, there is a man named Solomon who has the deep desire to have more knowledge and know truth. When God came to Solomon and asked “What do you want? Ask and I’ll give it to you?” (vs. 5) Solomon responded, “Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great nation of yours?” (vs. 9)


There are a couple of truths in this verse that we should key in on:

• God can bestow wisdom on us.
• Wisdom should be used to help/govern people.
• Wisdom is given to draw people closer to God.
• We need wisdom because on our own we can’t oversee God’s work on our own.
• Knowledge is something we seek out.
• Solomon knew that God alone provides truth.

For the word of the Lord holds truth, and
everything He does is worthy of our
trust. ~Psalm 33:4

Read the Bible to know your filter for truth.

Seek out truth from the Creator’s source.

Believe that God alone can provide truth.

For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ~Proverbs 2:6

Up, then Out

How do you love people?

Reading books, searching the Internet, and seeking out advice i've yet to find the perfect answer to this question. A recent Google search unveiled these 4 steps:

1. Think about why you find people annoying.
2. Do an inventory of people in your life you like.
3. Keep your Mind open.
4. Adopt a positive attitude

Haha...i had a little laugh after this How-to list. I'm not sure if these 4 steps alone will lead us to the pure joy God talked about when He breathed,

"Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. i lus. i love jesus.But the greatest of these is love." i love~1 Corinthians 13:13.

i frequently say that i love people. In fact, when posed the question, "What do you want to do with your life?" i respond initially with the fact that i've been blessed with a h-u-g-e heart for people; not sure exactly what capacity i'll be serving in but in some way i'll be serving people.

I recognize that people give me energy, one of my favorite things to do is to learn more about another person's life story, and other's strengths and gifts fascinate me.

However, it wasn't until my last week in Connecticut for National FFA week, that a young lady really challenged me to this idea of loving people. She asked, "How do you do it? How do you love people so much?"

Hmm...i didn't have an immediate answer for her. I hadn't really thought about; it's one of those things you just know. Finally, an answer came.

"I love people because God loved us first. He loves them, so do i."

If there really were light bulbs floating over our heads, in that moment mine would have flipped on and been radiating!

For the first time this visual idea of how we love became clear.

Looking no further than the two most important commandments that Jesus taught we find our answer.

"The important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord O God. The Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.

i love Jesus. i love jesus. i love jesus. Christ is my savior. ~Mark 12: 29-31

Notice a few things:

• Jesus made clear what the 1st commandment was.
• Jesus made clear what the 2nd commandment was.
• Jesus taught to first seek God, then seek man.
• Jesus taught to first love God, then love man.
• Jesus taught to first exert strength towards God, then expend strength for man.
• Jesus taught to love vertically, then love horizontally.

In order to love people, and to love people deeply and with pure joy, we must first find joy vertically between us and God.

Before we can ever imagine spending ourselves for all of mankind, we must first spend ourselves and understand the one true love that God offers.

Thank you to the young lady who reminded me that my life's focus shouldn't veer from desiring to know God more. The love i have for people cannot exceed the Love for our Creator.

Only by knowing God's love vertically can we experience sharing God's love to the world horizontally.