YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH

“You can’t handle the truth” was the unforgettable line from a movie called, “A Few Good Men.” It was said during a dramatic courtroom scene dealing with the death of a Marine in Cuba. Unfortunately human beings don’t seem to handle the truth too well. And we Christians aren’t much better than the average non-Christian Joe. Now please notice I am including myself as the chiefest of sinners in this article, I have not yet made it. But, when the Holy Spirit points out some – not so flattering truths about ourselves like: the jealousy, anger, strife, lying, bitterness, so much more we run the other way denying His words to us. We can’t handle it. The bad thing about this is God will bring circumstances and people back around time and time again until we “get it.” If you do not like what is moving in your spiritual life please don’t think denying or running from it will change the circumstances, God will bring you back around the mountain until you “get it”, then and only then can you move on to the next thing God has for you. He does have a plan for our lives and if we are to be His child and walk in His will for our lives, we must submit to His plan. Until we agree “yes Lord, I see my lack in this area please help me” we will continue to be frustrated and out of our mouth will speak words from our ugly unrepentive heart. It is so much easier to blame circumstances or this person and that person. Why should we grow up and face the truth, we can just stay like babies on the “milk of the word.” Yes-sir-ree, it’s our choice, isn’t it? How proud we must make Jesus when we refuse for the umpteenth time, the Holy Spirit’s leading for us to do something about our temper, our impatience, our jealousy, our – well you fill in the blank. Yep, we’re real Christians, the Holy Spirit is leading us to go this way and we’re going the opposite way as fast as our fat little feet will carry us. And worse we’ll intellectualize it or slap on some religious bandage and keep deceiving ourselves instead of just repenting of our rebellion and waywardness. Maybe this is why Jeremiah is know as the weeping prophet and learned this truth the hard way, when he said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10) It is only the Lord that searches our heart and really knows it. We must agree with Him when He shows the “deceitful” and “desperately wicked” things to us so they can be dealt with by God and us. We must deal with it here on earth. Folks we may not get another chance after this life. Some denominations teach we will have another chance, I don’t want to take the chance. We all know truth is a very bitter pill to swallow, but Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) What word was Jesus talking about? It most certainly was not the Bible because it was not yet written. It was the word He speaks to us when we need correction or discipline, when we need to move away from areas in our lives that are not pleasing to Him. Truth is as bitter as death sometimes, but then again we are to die to self aren’t we? The opposite of the truth is lies, deception, and cover ups like two guys on an elevator and one breaks wind, but they both know who did it. So when one is operating in lies, deception, and cover ups don’t think someone else (besides the Almighty Himself) isn’t aware. The freedom Jesus is talking about in John 8:32 is the freedom of the heart the Holy Spirit brings to us when we “continue (walk the same way) in my words” until then we are full of guilt, shame, and frustration. And remember, the best is yet to come. Written by Karen Stahl