The Voice of Truth
This is a trustworthy saying...
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying” (Titus 3:4-8, NIV).
The words we listen to have an outsized effect on our lives. I decided to do a news and social media fast a few years ago. For 90 days, I stayed off all social media and didn’t listen, watch, or read a single news story. Do you know what happened?
The world moved on. Nothing changed except me. My anger and stress levels decreased so much that I felt like a new person.
It turns out that hearing the news that “the sky is falling” all day, every day, isn’t good for mental health. My regular intake of doom and gloom headlines had me believing that everything I love most about life was on the verge of collapse. I lived in a state of anger, anxiety, and hopelessness because I was listening to unhealthy words from untrustworthy sources who were more interested in selling me a product than telling me the truth.
That’s why the Apostle Paul’s words to Titus are so refreshing. This is a trustworthy saying. Yes, it is! God is our Savior. He showed His kindness and love by becoming a human being named Jesus Christ and giving His life to save ours. He didn’t do this because we deserve it—quite the contrary! It was out of the abundance of His love and mercy that He came to save us precisely because we did not deserve it and could not save ourselves!
For those who have trusted in Jesus and experienced His forgiveness, the sky is not falling. Our future is not to disintegrate into atoms floating in space's vast nothingness forever. The world may be plagued by evil, but we are on the side of righteousness and light. And our champion has already won the war! In Christ, we have victory over evil, freedom from sin, and eternal life, and that gives us incredible hope.
This is a trustworthy saying. Meditate on Titus 3:4-8. Let the trustworthy saying filter into your soul and soak your heart in life. The words of the world around us are grim. But the trustworthy words of God paint a different story. I choose the voice of truth. And thank God He speaks!