two truths and a lie(s)

It is a nice little game I play every morning when I wake up
it goes like this.
3 options. Two true. One not. Now figure it out.

truth #1: the gospel. Jesus. Who Christ is, what he has done, the overarching truth. It never fails; it never changes. I can always identify it and I don’t doubt it.

truth #2: the truth about me. the truth about: who I am in Christ, where I am with Christ, where He wants me, how He values me, what He has placed in me, the way He has made me to glorify Him.

lie #1: the lie about me. The lie about: who I am, where I should be, where my value lies, how I don’t measure up, the state of my heart. It’s more than one lie. It’s usually multiple lies. Satan’s the author and he is terribly convincing.

Now…

Truth #1 is hardly doubted, its a constant.
then there is a choice to make between Truth #2 and Lie #1. They aren’t usually labeled like this, so deciphering them is difficult. Most days I try to make the choice on my own:

comparing the two,

drawing conclusions,

making assumptions,

all from my own wisdom.

Sometimes I’m wise enough to guess correctly.

sometimes, I’m not.

Actually, most times, I’m not.

BUT there is a trick to this game

and its the fact that it isn’t a game at all

it was never meant to be

because God is not sneaky

he does not hide answers.

nor does he hold truth out of reach.

the trick is focusing on truth #1


committing, exploring, questioning, seeking, and loving the truth I KNOW
first and foremost.

because here is the deal:
the other two options, the truth and lie,
are mostly about me.

and if just finding the answer is my focus

then the truth I know, the truth of Christ, will slowly fade out of focus,
making me the focal point.

making me apathetic towards what is now the blurred background

starved for my own satisfaction
making myself the root of my joy

looking for my own answers
Honestly, getting nowhere.

but if I burrow in Christ,

burrow in this overarching truth,

then somewhere buried within love,

when I am waist deep in mercy,
humility, and surrender;
glorifying the one who is MORE than worthy of this time I’m wasting looking for something else.

it is THERE that the other truth I am looking for is found.
and it will creep in unknowingly; its entrance will hardly be noticed.
I won’t realize that I now have what I was previously looking so hard for

because I will be so focused on Christ it doesn't matter.
and that’s how it should be.