Fact Check, Please

 Franz Kafka reminds us to "start with what is right rather than what is acceptable". These are indeed wise words as so many today just 'accept' things along the way in life and don't really 'fact check' them to see if they are 'right' or just 'acceptable'. To follow blindly is indeed dangerous territory - we may just find ourselves doing things we might not really want to do, repeating things best not repeated, and believing things not really all that trustworthy. We have an obligation to each other as members of God's family to 'fact check' the things we believe, act upon, and repeat to others. If we don't, we can lead others into some pretty confusing places in their lives!

So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. (I Corinthians 14:26, 33)

As we are all made up of differing personalities and unique talents, we owe it to each other to nourish the talents of those God brings into our community of believers, but we also owe it to ourselves to not just blindly accept all they say and do. Gather together, but create a culture that is safe for all - that adheres to the truth as outlined in God's Word - learn to 'fact check'. Do their teachings align with what God tells us in scripture? If not, don't just reject it as untrue - correct it. Share truth because others may not realize they have just followed what was 'acceptable' in culture today rather than what is 'right' by God's standards.

I don't want to presume to be right. There are times when I am clearly wrong. I always want to be open to correction wherever it is needed in my life. How about you? Have you ever had the 'facts checked' in your life and found you likely needed a little bit of 'correction'? It may not be the easiest to admit that we need to reject something we have accepted in our lives, but when we willingly lay it down we might just experience freedom from something that was actually holding us back in our spiritual growth. This Christian walk isn't always 'intuitive' - especially when we receive so many conflicting messages from this world we live in.

We live in a world where there is a lot of confusion about what is right and wrong. Believe it or not, some accept things just because others do. At some point, it becomes the blind leading the blind and that isn't going to end well! Be a leader of truth. Be an example of righteousness. Bring truth and light wherever you go. Allow God to do the 'fact checking' in your life and then when you gather together with others - you won't be adding to the confusion, you will be bringing order and light! Just sayin!