The Value of Truth

“Despite all denials of truth as a category, people still hunger for it.” — Ravi Zacharias[i]

Is there anything as secure as confidently standing on the solid ground of certainty? And is anything as repulsive as struggling through the swamp of falsehoods and error? I think you will agree that we do best to maintain an open mind to the truth and pursue it with bravery.

Avoiding the truth will always be a cruel and disappointing road to travel. Where I live in Pennsylvania, there are many winding back roads. Suppose one day, when I am in a desperate hurry, I choose to believe that the winding route I need to drive is straight, and I set the cruise control on my vehicle at 80 mph. I would have to get another car, for even if I persuade myself that the road is straight, it will still have every curve it had before.

But what is truth? How do we recognize it?

Truth is what we have when we experience something with one of our five senses. Everyone who can feel their heart beating and note that they are alive will feel safe to conclude that they have a heart.  And when we smell smoke, feel heat, and see flickering flames, we can logically reckon there must be a fire. The fact that we have a heart is the truth we arrive at when we feel that rhythmic thumping in our chest. And fire is the truth we acknowledge when we smell smoke, feel heat, and see flames.

Another essential part of truth is logic, or common-sense. If we smell smoke, feel heat, and see flames, but the flames are not moving, we can use logic to consider that real flames always move, so we must be are looking at a picture. Sight can confirm that the heat is coming from the space heater at our feet, and logic can inform us that the smoke we smell comes from the neighbor’s cigarette.

Even though we may hold conflicting opinions and are both convinced we are right, does logic not make it clear that we cannot both be correct? Is it not also reasonable to reach accurate conclusions on more complex subjects, such as life, by using this method of considering the evidence? Once we have committed to unconditionally accepting the truth, I believe it is possible to know the facts regarding every life-related issue. (Unconditionally accepting the truth is key here.)

One might question, “How is it possible to know the truth about life when there is so much diversity?”

Pride greatly hinders any search for the truth. (Throughout this book, when we mention pride, we refer to the habit of respecting one’s own opinion and preferences over that of other people.) Diverse views exist because many people refuse to accept an idea that contradicts the way they want to think. Such activity leaves them with a dreadfully distorted perspective. I also fight this tendency. I find I must repeatedly remind myself that accepting reality will be far more rewarding, in the end, than only believing what I want to think.

We will not find the truth if our personal opinion is more important to us than facts. Some people attempt to avoid any truth that does not align with what they want to believe. These folks are not afraid to label something as a fact if it is what they want to think, regardless of reality. Traveling this path never fails to confuse them.

Abraham Lincoln posed this question: “How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg?” The correct answer is four. Calling the dog’s tail a leg will not change the fact that it is not a leg.

Os Guinness shared, “. . . truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity—it is simply true and that is the end of it.“[ii]

Naturally, it is hard to take a thorough and honest look at a view that does not interest us. Jonathan Swift wrote, “Reasoning itself is true and just, but the reasoning of every particular man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interest, his passions, and his vices.“[iii] What we feel like believing can easily influence our reasoning. Thus, we must be careful not to allow our preferences to distort our view of the truth.

Are you feeling quite confident about your current position on these matters? Consider: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12). “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Do these quotes not suggest that if we are not open to the idea that we might be wrong, then we probably are wrong? For myself, many times, when I was sure my view was correct, someone showed me I was wrong after all. For such reasons, we do well to recognize that we could be wrong, even if we think we have it figured out. Will a man of true wisdom not remain open to correction? Everybody makes mistakes, but it takes a lot of courage to admit our errors and pursue correct alternatives. If we are unwilling to accept the truth at any cost, we are unlikely to possess it.

A display of evidence will never convince those who are unwilling to believe it. As Barry Levefall pointed out, “There are none who are as deaf as those who do not want to hear.“[iv] Blaise Pascal noted, “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.“[v] Are we too quick to believe what we want to think, despite the reality of the matter?

Some folks may be tempted to think,

That might be true for him, but it is not true for me.” But in these topics, concerning facts about our life on Earth, are we not all living in the same world and subject to the same laws of nature? Using such reasoning, in this situation, will only fool ourselves. Because the many opinions out there constantly contradict each other, we can soon see that many people who are sure they are correct will be wrong after all. That could be us.

There are many contradicting principles out there to be believed by anyone who will listen. The only sure method of locating reality is by unconditionally committing to the facts. To surrender oneself to the truth, no matter how revolting and challenging it may appear.

I personally have clamored after my own desires and tasted the futility and hopelessness that consistently accompanies those that walk away from the truth. At other times I have pursued truth, without reserve, enough to experience the resulting blessing of security and to feel assured of an accurate explanation. (Oh, that I would never step away from the truth again. But I continue to get caught up about myself periodically, and once again enter that loathsome despondent condition that accompanies such action.)

 Although standing for the truth leads to a coveted state of contentment and is available to anyone, many people find it a great challenge to submit to its authority and thus achieve the privilege of basking in the resulting serenity.

Emotions can also be a hindrance when searching for the truth. Our emotions are unstable and inconsistent. For example, if Jim gets angry at his dog Rover and decides that it would be nice to put Rover to sleep forever, does that make it right to do so? Should Jim go ahead and kill Rover because his emotions tell him it would make him feel better?

Part of the reason we are confused is that we believe and act based on how we feel about things. Thus, because Jane’s emotions differ on issues from her husband Jake’s, they cannot agree and eventually decide to get a divorce.

Our emotions, no matter how real, will never change reality. But does that mean we cannot trust our sense of affection towards our pet? So, although we cannot trust them as a rule, we still need to consider our emotions. There is a certain point that we can know that the feeling of love for a child is not a joke. And there is a certain point in which we can tell that the sense of security we have is indeed reducing our anxiety levels.

Some people may not directly be to blame for believing lies. They confidently retain their viewpoint, not necessarily because of pride or emotions, but they have never perceived that they might be wrong. Many innocent people believe what high-ranking authorities say, without considering that their books and speeches might be filled with self-centered motives, or indoctrination from other people with self-centered motives. Besides this, people are naturally slow to change their opinions. Also, it is the general environment that many folks are in that trains them to fend for themselves to the point of avoiding inconvenient truths. (I do not mean to belittle these folks in the least.)

(To read more on finding truth in this 21^st century, check out Abdu Murray’s book Saving Truth.)

Many people may find the truth to be intimidating, and I must admit it is not for the cowards. Nonetheless, although accepting the facts may not be easy, the resulting confidence that one acknowledges a truthful explanation will certainly be worth the effort.

[i] Ravi Zacharias, The Logic of God (p. 254). Zondervan. 2019

[ii] Os Guinness, Time for Truth, (pp. 79–80). Grand Rapids: Baker. 2000

[iii] Dr. Jonathan Swift, Miscellanies. The Tenth Volume, (ed. 1745)

[iv] Matthew Henry, (I was unable to locate where he said it.)

[v] Blaise Pascal, Thoughts, tr. by W.F. Trotter: Letters, tr. by M.L. Booth, Minor Works, tr. by O.W. Wight: With Introds. Notes and Illus (ed. 1910)