Tag Archives: Truth

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Micah 3

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Here is God's Message to the prophets, the preachers who lie to my people:"For as long as they're well paid and well fed, the prophets preach, 'Isn't life wonderful! Peace to all!' But if you don't pay up and jump on their bandwagon, their 'God bless you' turns into 'God damn you.' Micah 3:5 (MSG)

Life is a mixture of good times and bad, of hope and despair. The journey takes us through peaks and valleys. Sometimes we need an encouraging pat on the back. Sometimes we need a swift kick in the pants. When life is out of balance, my perceptions quickly become clouded.

The prophets of Micah's day were out of balance. Their motivation was selfish ("I only care about my own personal needs") and their message was a bubble off plumb ("I'll say whatever you want to hear as long as the money keeps rolling in"). I can think of many of today's "prophets" and see parallels. There is nothing new under the sun.

I can't control others, but I can control myself. Today, I think about the messages I send to family, friends, clients and co-workers. I want to make sure that the words and messages out of my own mouth reflect a healthy balance. I don't want to reflect my own selfish motives, but as much as possible I want to objectively reflect what is true.


Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Micah 2

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Truth is a mirror. If someone showed up with a good smile and glib tongue and told lies from morning to night— 'I'll preach sermons that will tell you how you can get anything you want from God: More money, the best wines…you name it'— you'd hire him on the spot as your preacher! Micah 2:11 (MSG)

In my daily vocation, I help assess the quality of service companies deliver to their customers. We survey customers to find out what they expect of the company, then assess "moments of truth" when the company interacts with customers in a service situation (a la' "your call may be monitored to ensure quality service"). It works really well when companies are honest about their struggles and are willing to put in the necessary work to improve. I'm happy to say that most of our clients fall into that category and it results in mutually profitable relationships.

There are, however, companies who have hired our group with the desire of having us tell them just what they want to hear: "Your customer service is great!" They don't really want the truth. They want a plaque on the wall telling them they are okay. They want to tell their shareholders that everything is peachy. When we come back with a report that reveals considerable problems, blatant service issues, and customer dissatisfaction, these companies will often:

  1. Question the data.
  2. Deny there's a problem.
  3. Bury the report.
  4. Show us the door.

It's no different than the people Micah laments in today's chapter. They want someone to tell them exactly what they want to hear, even if it's a lie. The reality is, the truth sometimes hurts. Truth is a mirror in which we see an accurate reflection of self. It's good to see our own reflection, warts and all, even when it's uncomfortable. Truth helps us make mid-course corrections. Truth affords us the opportunity to mature, grow, develop, and improve.

Today, I want to be more open to the Truth – even if it is uncomfortable; even if I don't like what I see in my own reflection.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and oter.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 40

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Whenever the Cloud lifted from The Dwelling, the People of Israel set out on their travels, but if the Cloud did not lift, they wouldn't set out until it did lift. The Cloud of God was over The Dwelling during the day and the fire was in it at night, visible to all the Israelites in all their travels. Exodus 40:36-38 (MSG)

God is a god of metaphor. He expresses Himself in what He makes. He gives us word pictures that speak of deep, spiritual truths through every day objects. Bread and wine are  Christ's body and blood. The water of baptism is Jesus, the "Water of Life," who washes our sins away. The cloud and the fire in Exodus are metaphors God's presence. They were a constant reminder to the Israelites that God was with them.

Metaphorical reminders are a good thing. They keep us mindful of important truths.

This past Saturday, as we celebrated my daughter's wedding,  I wore a ring on my right hand. It was my grandfather's ring. I don't wear it a lot. I pull it out on special family occasions because it helps me to be mindful and grateful of those generations who have gone before us and made these celebrations possible. There is nothing magical about it. It's just a tangible reminder of loved ones who cleared the path for us.

The Israelites, wandering in the Sinai desert, needed tangible, visible reminder of His presence. I don't think we're any different in our own wanderings. We all need tangible reminders of God's truths as we make our own journeys through this life.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Exodus 32

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Really! It just popped out of the fire! "So I [Aaron] said, 'Who has gold?' And they took off their jewelry and gave it to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf." Exodus 32:24 (MSG)

From the time we're little children, we know how to make excuses for our wrong-doings. We get caught with our hand in the cookie jar and exclaim, "But, mommy! I was getting a cookie for YOU!" We get caught making out on the couch with our girlfriend and exclaim, "It's not what it looked like! We weren't lying together. We were just hugging, lost our balance, and fell over." We are questioned about our sin and obfuscate the truth to the point we're arguing over the definition of the word "is."

We can shake our heads and laugh at Aaron for expecting Moses to believe that he threw gold in the fire and, when he pulled it out, there was this statue of a calf. The reality is that each one of us, at one time or another, have stretched the truth in an attempt to avoid the consequences.

The path to maturity begins with the single step of being honest about ourselves and our mistakes. Only when we're willing to admit the truth about our shortcomings can we begin the process of repentance and positive growth.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and allspice1