Perception and Reality

I've been in the business world for almost 25 years. I've worked in the IT industry for most all that time and have had customer facing jobs for the vast majority of it. In almost every position I've held, I've been told "Perception is reality. What the customer perceives to be true is true for the customer."

We see that in today's Church as well. We hear people speaking of "my truth" and "your truth" not "The Truth."

I have news for those who say "my truth" or "your truth." Perception is not reality! Reality is reality. The difference between our perception and reality is commonly called "sin."

Sin is "unreal living." When we sin, we turn from God (which is our natural state). We turn from He who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Sinning is turning from the Truth into untruth. Sin darkens our minds and our hearts. Eventually, we come to where we can't even see the Truth for what it is and we substitute our own version of it.

Each of us is so darkened by sin and unreal living that we can't know the Truth even if we think we do. So, what is the solution? The solution is to look to the One Who Is (ego ami, I am that I am) the Truth. We need to follow what God lays as the Truth - even about who we are. You see, we are not who we think we are. We do not know ourselves. Only God knows us. Paul says that "you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Now Paul writes this to Christians at Colossae, but I believe it applies to all people - Christians and non-Christians. We are all dead because of our sins and our life lies hid with Christ in God. The difference is that Christians understand this and seek our true life. When Christians go to "find themselves," they turn to Jesus Christ.

To understand how to gain victory over sin, we must learn that the Victory has already been won, we need to submit to the Victor and walk in that victory. Clinging to our self image (no matter what that image is) is not submitting to the Victor.

YBIC,
Phil Snyder