2:193 – Search Before You Share

#faithbites #faithjourney search

Have you see headlines like this “Obama removed the citizenship question in 2010”. “Democrats voted to allow illegal aliens to vote in elections”. “Momo is hunting your children online.” The list goes on and all. We share these stories, believe them, then vehemently oppose those who disagree with us. The thing is these are all false, or mostly false. To often we see something that reinforces our beliefs and we don’t do any fact checking. On a daily basis, a 30-60 second Google search can debunk most things. But, we don’t do it. We see something we think is right and share it.

This is where my person #faithjourney lives. God has given us his word and our talents. We have the opportunity to share his word with others. Some believe on pure faith, others like me, look deeper into the history, original translations, to find a deeper truth. Then, I share it.

We should use God’s gifts to research His truth and always share the truth and not be mislead by what is easy (hit share) or what is mostly false (clickbait).

Scripture

• Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant – 2 Samuel 7:28
• Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.” – 1 Kings 17:24
• He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created – James 1:18
• God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” – John 4:24

Reflection

Our verses show us two main things. First that God’s word is truth. There is no if, ands, or buts about it. His word is true. We can take time to research it, live it, and learn it. It’s a lifelong journey of researching, believing, and leaving.

The second point is our words should also be true. If we are to follow Christ, our words need to reflect that in being truthful. As with understanding God’s word, we need to understand our words. This includes researching, learning, and living what we say.

Imagine if we all researched everything we say before sharing it. Imagine if we only shared and spoke truth. This isn’t easy and requires time, effort, and dedication. But if we want to walk on Jesus’s footsteps, we need to try.

Charge

In the next week, before you share something on social media, or tell someone something, research it. See if it’s true, mostly true, or not. Then think if you want to share it and add some explanation to show the truth.

Prayer

Lord, information is everywhere. We have false prophets, false information, and information overload. Help us to know the difference between truth and falsehoods. Give us the energy to do the work to seek, understand, and share the truth. We aren’t always good examples of you, but give us your strength and perseverance to continue to seek you on all we do.