Live No LiesSample

LIVING AT ODDS WITH REALITY

Dallas Willard wrote in Hearing God, “We truly live at the mercy of our ideas.” The ideas that we believe in our minds and then let into our bodies give shape to the trajectory of our souls. Put another way, they shape how we live and who we become. 

When we believe truth—that is, ideas that correspond to reality—we show up to reality in such a way that we flourish and thrive. We show up to our bodies, to our sexuality, to our interpersonal relationships, and, above all, to God himself in a way that is congruent with the Creator’s wisdom and good intentions for his creation. As a result, we tend to be happy. 

But when we believe lies—ideas that are not congruent with the reality of God's wise and loving design—and then, tragically, open our bodies to those lies and let them into our muscle memories, we allow an ideological cancer to infect our souls. We live at odds with reality, and as a result, we struggle to thrive. 

We struggle to thrive because reality does not adjust itself to our illusions.

We think of faith as something for religious people, but all of us live by faith. To have faith in something is simply to live as if it’s true. It means to put your trust in something or someone and remain loyal to it. 

The question isn’t: Do you have faith? But who or what do you have faith in? Jesus and the scripture writers wanted you to have faith in Jesus and his teachings—a faith that is based on knowledge of reality. 

Jesus and the writers of scripture also recognized that the claim to have knowledge of reality does not imply arrogance or lead down the path to tyranny, contrary to popular opinion.

No one would ever say: “Who am I to tell someone else the earth is round? Or that five plus five equals ten? Or that smoking is bad for your health?” We have no problem telling people we love about reality because we trust it will contribute to their happiness. 

To apprentice under Rabbi Jesus is more than just to enroll as a student for a daily lecture in his master class of life; it’s also to enlist as a soldier and join his fight to believe truth over lies. 

Do you believe all religions are equal? Why or why not? How have your beliefs changed over time?