Myth and truth – what we believe.
The other day, just for fun, I was thinking and came up with myths Christians (and other people) tend to believe. I was like what things in life are myth and truth?
It’s sort of funny how we take “old sayings” and deem them the truth when in reality they are a bunch of foolishness. Here’s a few I’ve heard for years and actually believed…back when I leaned toward the naive side of things.
You gotta let me know if you fell for any of these?
1. “The older you get, the wiser you get.”
Not always. Like me, you probably know some…shall we say…unwise older people. You know I wanted to say “crazy” right? I didn’t because I am being polite. Nevertheless, the world is full of old fools doing and saying “old fool” things. Don’t believe me? Watch talk shows or the news. You’ll be soon convinced.
2. “Time heals all wounds and pains.”
gain, not true. Time, in itself, doesn’t heal. Christ along with some time, support, and prayer can. You definitely have some work to do and some forgiving to do before healing comes. Just letting time pass won’t help at all in my humble opinion.
I think lots of people are walking around bitter because they are waiting for time to heal their pains. Sorry, time – in itself – doesn’t heal by itself, it just may buffer the memory of what happened, but it doesn’t.
The myth and truth of it all is you gotta try.
3. “All marriages get better after 5+ years.”
Yeah, right. Again, lots of work is required to make the good stuff happen in your life.
Here’s the real key: having faith in God’s ability to change YOU while trusting Him to change your spouse. No freebies, here.
A good marriage is simply a lot of effort and forgiveness. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and find out what love truly is and then you’ll see what makes a good marriage.
1 Corinthians 13
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ….13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Now, if we can practice this day-by-day, I think any marriage can be strong, patient, forgiving, and long-lasting, right?
4. “The longer you walk with Christ the more mature you become.”
This one is a ‘kicker’ and very similar to #1.
See, we mature in Christ as we realize we are nothing without Him and His never-ending grace.
We mature as we allow the Holy Spirit to morph us into Christ’s image.
We mature when we spend regular, quality time alone with Christ – allowing Him to do “open heart” surgery on our souls.
We mature as we turn away from the temptations, lusts, and desires of this world.
We mature as we realize that we are not perfect, but we can strive toward that maturity in Christ.
We can press on to live lives that would please our Father. A date on a calendar does nothing to aid in spiritual maturity.
Hey, aging is just getting older.
You can get older, dumber, or just stay a baby Christian forever, don’t you think? That’s the myth and truth of it all.
I’m so tired of people bragging because they’ve been saved for twenty years – and yet have not matured past the point of cursing people out, living in unforgiveness, or flipping the “bird” in traffic.
Show us your life and we’ll know whether you’re mature or not. Time has nothing to do with it.
Do you agree? Disagree?
Mommy that’s a good one. Big, HUGE myth. If we could be “good” we wouldn’t need Christ. Beside our righteous is as filthy rags without the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (Isa. 64:6)
On my best day….Girrrl, I’m still a mess in my own strength. LOL
Sheff, I used to believe both those myths. I though at 17 that my acceptance of Christ mean not more raining days. By 5:00 that evening I learned – NO-O-O-OT!
You know #2 is one that I used to think differently about but now I see it is true. Time with a wound is just a long term wound. It really does take time with Christ.
I think another myth we fall for is “The Sun always shines in Christianity.” Everything is always going to be good. And I think I see twinges of this when I’m shocked when something goes wrong.
I have heard as long as you are a good person, you go to heaven….