Heart Check Part 2 – Which one…My truth or the Truth?

A cunning man bought an old white mule from a farmer and promised to pick it up the next day. When he arrived the farmer informed him that the mule had died and he had already spent the money. The man said no problem and ask for help to load the mule, the farmer asked, "What are you going to do with a dead mule?" He said, "I'm going to raffle it off." About a month later the farmer ran into the man and asked him how the sale went. The man said “Great! I sold 1000 raffle tickets at $5 apiece." The farmer said, “You must have a lot of people mad at you!” The man smiled and said, "No only one...and I gave him double his money back!" 

There are many paths we face in life,  however,  there is only one path to Truth. We may want to face Truth as we want it to be, but Truth is not left up to our discretion. It is what it is! Anything else is a form of deception and a desire to escape reality. 

The religious leaders we're facing the hard reality of God in the flesh and He was not the kind of God they had designed. The bias in their hearts was evident which requires us to have a self-examination as we attempt to be an example and share the reality of Jesus Christ and his resurrection to a world that is wandering on so many paths that all lead to one terrible end.  

* The Biased Heart… possesses "self" intentions!

The Biased Heart does not care about right or wrong, just a personal agenda! 

The Biased Heart sets out to prove what it already believes.

Consider:

John 18:19-24 The high priest therefore questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching, Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. "Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, these know what I said." And when He had said this, one of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?" Annas, therefore, sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

Often when confronted with a reality that we don't like our bias will seek a different path to deal with it and even become aggressive to avoid the truth. 

As we can see the Sanhedrin pivoted and used intimidation tactics

* The Biased Heart sidesteps truth and looks for ways to attack.

“…One of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?"

As we examine our own hearts – hard questions need to be asked. When we make requests, do they sound more like demands? When we are criticized, do we attack back and point out that person’s failures? Do others see us as a person willing to grow or a bully? 

Jesus modeled the number one quality missing in most of today's discipleship's ... Transparency. This requires courage! 

Look at what Jesus said: "Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, these know what I said."

Allowing others to show you what you look like in the mirror will humble, hurt, and disappoint you…BUT it will also mature, balance, and produce Integrity and Authenticity.

The So What: When you're trying to deal with reality do you focus on it or look for ways to change the subject, get on a different path, or even attack?