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By David Wright Our post-modern society encourages people to obey their own impulses. There is no truth, nothing absolutely right or wrong. What is right for one person may not be right for someone else. If you are wrestling with a moral decision, consult yourself and follow the leadings of your heart. The great flaw in this way of thinking is that what I believe and what is real may be two entirely different things. Several thousand years ago Jacob sent his favorite son, Joseph, to check on the boy's older brothers. When they saw Joseph coming, the sons of Jacob stripped the young man of his special cloak, put him in a waterless pit, and later sold him as a slave. To cover up this heinous act of treachery, Joseph's brothers then dipped his coat in goat's blood and showed it to Jacob. When the old man recognized the robe, he said: “A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces” (Gen. 37:33). Convinced that Joseph was dead, Jacob wept bitterly, refusing the comfort of his children. Was Joseph truly dead, though? No, he was alive and perfectly healthy. Jacob's false belief brought him anguish. He suffered acute loss for 22 years before discovering the wonderful truth. Joseph was alive! What was real and what Jacob believed were entirely different things. False beliefs also hurt us. We will answer to God not for what we think but for the way things actually are. |
