Truth is a Weapon

Truth is dogmatic. There is no way around it. Truth insists on being right whether we "agree" or "feel" it is true. Truth is dogmatic to the point of being unwilling to negotiate. It does not compromise. Like gravity or death, truth can be denied for only so long before it is inevitably proved true.

For me, I tend to see truth as a weapon. Wielded by the judgmental or the careless, it wounds, scars and kills. I have witnessed individuals who, in the name of God, have taken the sword of truth and bludgeoned the hearts of others in truths defense. They add to truths dogmatism, their own intense, dogmatic application of the truth to another life. With all the disdain and superiority they can muster, they identify why they are right and the other is reprobate. And through the truth of what they say, they drive the hearts of men and women to hide from the truth which wounds.

If we possess the truth, we have no need to add to its truthfulness, as if our own spin or ferocity could make the truth more true, more powerful, or more potent.

Perhaps there is better way to wield truth. I believe there is a more noble purpose for truth than simply being right. When placed in the hand of love, truth is a fierce liberator of hearts. Spoken in love, it is no less pressing, no less powerful, no less true — but it is infinitely more palatable. The union of love and truth breaks chains, not spirits.

Lets not forget that Jesus promised us that the truth would set us free. Romans tells us it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. First Corinthians tells us that if we can everything but love, we have nothing.

Jesus' harshest interactions were not with those lost and in need, but with those sought to dogmatically apply their own brand of truth to the backs of those lost and in need.

Time Trapped

So this morning I woke up thinking about all the "stuff" that I needed to get done — upcoming projects, weekly to-dos, people who needed minutes and hours from me and I began asking myself if I had time to get it all done.

As I ran through the checklist of tasks and scheduled needs I began to think that yes, I could get everything done today.

And then I thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow it all starts over again. I get to wake, creating a mental to-do list that, if I can complete the whole thing, will take my whole day.

What about the day after tomorrow? And the day after that? And the day after that...

I think I am realizing that I am time trapped!

I have set some goals for my life. I am not really moving forward on those goals because I am crossing-off items on a list. There is no think time in my schedule. How do I budget time to think about how I make myself, my family, my ministry, my church better?

There is not margin. How do I schedule rest and be able to trust that all is well? How do I prioritize when I am passionate about all the things I am involved in and feel that each is vital.

In short, how do I get out of this time trap of "just enough time to get today's stuff done?" How do I get to the place where a day possess not only its own tasks but preparation for the future, guiltless rest, recreation, and productivity?

I look forward to your great wisdom.