“When he (the devil) lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b
In an age of ever-increasing information at our fingertips, the risk of believing a false narrative is greatly on the rise. Consider for a moment why there were such conflicting viewpoints with respect to the entire Covid-19 pandemic. There was much information readily available that would support any and every viewpoint, and it was difficult to wade through it all and come to a reasonable understanding of the truth. (I’m not sure I understand it yet!)
But there is also a more sinister reason why we may we even be tempted to believe a false narrative. In a moment of anger, we may lash out to those around us, blaming them for our sudden outburst. By so doing, we have created a false narrative, which seeks to justify our sin, and in repeating it to our own hearts, we can convince ourselves of the truth of this false narrative. Pride, mingling with other ruinous sins, deceives our own hearts, in order to justify self!
Our hearts can also follow false narratives with respect to others. Someone did or said something that hurt me, and my heart builds a case against them: “they don’t care for me, there’s no point in talking to them anymore, they are just plain selfish!” And before long, our runaway minds have built a case that, in reality, has no substance. Such false narratives tragically ruin relationships. We need to recognize, and repeat to our hearts, that we are all sinners, saved only by the matchless grace of God!
But there is a greater false narrative which has the very worst of consequences. When we are called upon to go through a season of life, which proves to be very difficult, we may be tempted to convince our hearts that God doesn’t care! When we see horrific evil on the horizon in our world, we may well conclude that either God is unable to do anything about it, or He is absolutely uncaring! But, both are lies whispered to our hearts by the Father of lies! The Sovereign God of the universe has become our Father through Jesus Christ, and He loves and cares for each of His children, and He is with us through every circumstance! The Cross of Calvary is proof-positive of just how much our God cares for His children! Hold fast to the truth of such love!