What is true doesn’t necessarily translate to what is the truth. How so?
Let us begin with this simple scenario: Jane, a seven-year old pupil; gets home from school, where she meets her mother. At this, her mother gets to engage her in a brief conversation:
Mother: What did you learn in class today, Jane?
Jane: I learned how to add and subtract, mom…
On a different day, a similar occasion unfolds after Jane arrives at home from school. This time, their conversation flows slightly differently:
Mother: What did you learn in class today, Jane?
Jane: I learned how to divide my classmates into three different groups based on their ages, mom…
Looking closely at these two conversations and then putting yourself in the place of Jane’s mother, which of Jane’s responses would interest you more? Surely, without a doubt; even I would keep on talking to the second version of Jane. To draw us closer to home with this discussion, I’d like to inform you straight away that in one of the responses; Jane said what was true while in the other, she said the truth. Without a shadow of doubt, Jane’s ability to organize her classmates into three groups stood out as her truth based on what she was taught in Math class while the abstract knowledge she was able to re-narrate to her mother (probably with the evidence of a duly marked class workbook as well) stood out as what was generally true.
How then does this apply to us as believers?
Certainly, we all have the Holy Spirit within us who is able to bring us to a good understanding of Scripture based on how committed each one of us is to studying Scripture. In this way, we can all be able to obtain a detailed understanding of God’s Word to the extent that we’ll even be able to re-tell God’s teachings to our counterparts. Everything the Holy Ghost reveals to us is true in this case and thus, He's able to make us true-tellers without any shadow of doubt.
On the other hand, one or two of us may have come into terms with a certain struggle which he or she is experiencing in life (we all are) to the extent that this makes them approach Scripture with a unique expectation. This might be anger management, sleepless nights or let’s say; anxiety about a given situation. Getting on to Scripture as usual, this individual then lands on an experience about a character who at some point went through a similar situation as theirs (e.g Gideon’s struggle with a brutal inferiority complex, Moses’ issue with anger or Solomon’s uncovered experience which led into his unique understanding concerning those whom God affords good sleep). At this, Holy Ghost goes on to reveal how this given Sciptural experience speaks to our very own; not just how it stands out as a general truth.
Taking these two approaches of studying Scripture, we’ll find that in one instance, Holy Ghost is able to educate to us on many matters that are accurate as all these speak to the infinite wisdom of the person God while on the other; Holy Ghost is able to inspire us through a single revelation within God’s vast archive of comprehensive human history which in this case gets to serve as our personal truth. Is it making sense up until now?
In this case, all that Holy Spirit educates us on as being true is able to serve us so well as students of life such that we are able to provide all kinds of advice to many others such that they all become our benefactors. On the other hand, what Holy Ghost educates us on as being our truth is able to serve us beyond abstract knowledge whereby we get inwardly inspired to the point of us even naturally pulling the interest of third parties - in the same way that the second version of Jane was able to draw special interest from her mother (I suppose that this was the case). The second version of Jane speaks to any believer who like Jane's approach to Math class; gets to approach Scripture with a unique expectation; a real-life issue affecting him or her.
This is the point of all this: Scripture stands out as being this detailed letter written by God through many uniquely-inspired witnesses who were all at different stages of growth in their spiritual journeys (they all spoke differently; each had a slightly varied view-point all in keeping with God’s overall desire which is boundless at least from the human standpoint. I myself cannot exhaust my words talking about God, really). This letter contains unfiltered details of human history which stands out as the standard of all that can be understood as being true by any given person. Having each one of us well-in-mind, God then has a unique address for each one of us which serves as our personal truth determined by Him.
On our end, we only need to have a little curiosity as the second version of Jane had; the kind of curiosity that helps us come into terms with our uniquely-genuine need in life which God already knows and understands. It’s all about us coming to terms with what God already knows about us as this is the unique inspiration that led Him to address this letter of Scripture specifically to me and you. Once we get through this initial stage, we are able to graduate from true tellers to truth tellers as this is what actually sets aside those who advise from those who inspire. While both of these get to accomplish good at the end of the day, those who are able to inspire carry a unique grace in them that is able to draw the natural interest of truth-seekers.
Come into terms with what you genuinely need in life because trust you me; God already knows it. He just wants to be able to partner with you - He’s that gentle and cool; He’ll never force Himself on you. Be that second version of Jane for today and see things naturally happen for you; it’s this simple. Otherwise, to the teacher, don’t just seek to advise; seek to tell a story as well. Besides knowledge, people love one other thing as well: relationship. At this, while it takes ability to direct; it takes a special grace to lead as others follow. As Paul famously said:
1 Corinthians 11:1: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” - Not just follow as I teach you about Christ in as much as it is also important to do this.
It might as well interest you to know that during the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus Christ, Jesus acknowledged the fact that the woman had spoken what was true initially but then; before the Lord was able to fully heal the woman; He helped her come into terms with the entire truth about her unique struggle. It is in fact critical to understand this because this acknowledgement of truth as revealed by God Himself to the woman is what enabled her to go ahead and inspire an entire town to believe in Jesus; not just advise them. Certainly, anyone can state what is true but only few can state the truth.
John 4:17: "The woman answered Him, I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true."
Indeed, it is true that we all fall short; but then, what is your truth?
