The Truth

In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
I love how boldly Jesus declares who He is. Few understood it, but they couldn't deny that they were informed. He said it right to them. I am your way to heaven. I am the right way to live. Follow me.
He didn't try to make it complicated. He was there in the flesh, all they had to do was follow him. He was and is the Way.
He is the Truth. I think it is easy for people to claim that Jesus is the Way. Sure, I'll say I believe in that guy so I can go to heaven. But are we prepared to claim Him as Truth and live in light of that Truth? That becomes harder. Truth can be uncomfortable. When we are honest and truthful we often have to face realities we would rather hide away in a dark closet. The trouble is that dark closet won't clean itself. The more we pack it full of unrecognized truth the dirtier and messier it becomes. All the while it isn't really hidden. God sees it all along. He knows every scrap that has accumulated over the years. He could measure the dust particles that have created a thick layer over the surface of our "hidden" realities.
Our denied truth comes in all forms: bad habits, frustrations, lies, anger, unresolved problems, denial, resentment, unrepentant sin.... We take all of this truth and either face it head on and bring it to light or we store it away somewhere out of clear sight.
Although it may be out of our sight it is certainly not out of mind. The closet that is bursting at the seams with unrecognized truth is a burden on our backs. When we move we have to take the contents of the closet with us. We can't escape them. We can do a pretty good job of hiding it from the people around us but we can't hide it forever and we can't hide it from God.
In Hebrews 4:13 tells us plainly, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
Isn't that frightening and freeing all at the same time? God see's all. On the surface, that is a little shocking. Suddenly your secret closet isn't so secret after all. But it isn't it also freeing? You can release the burden. It is almost laughable. Here you were, protecting and guarding the door to that closet making sure no one caught of glimpse of what was inside and all along God was standing on the other side! You couldn't keep it from Him.

God is truth. He knows the truth we are trying desperately to hide. When we won't face the truth in our own lives we build a wall between ourselves and God. How can we have a pure, whole, intimate relationship with God when He recognizes the truth and we deny its existence? There immediately becomes a separation that can't be overcome by agreeing to disagree. The only way to overcome this wall is to tear it down. The only way to tear it down is to empty the closet.

Admitting the existence of truth in your life may require you to be honest with yourself. Maybe your truth is something you've tried to hide from your own conscience. Or maybe it is something that involves other people in your life. Maybe you have made a web out of lies and deceit that must be uncovered and swept clean. Maybe you have held hostilities in the depths of your heart and you need to go to the person of whom you've had such thoughts, asking for forgiveness. Maybe you have been hanging onto bad habits and you need to seek accountability from a brother or sister in Christ.
Your truth may not look like any that I've laid out. It might come in a whole different form. But if you can call it to mind then you know where it sits in the closet. Bring it out, let God shine His light upon it. When His light reaches it the path to full-disclosure can come into view.

There is nothing in your life that is hidden from God. He see's all because He is the truth. When you come to truth in His Way and live in the light of His Truth you will experience Life. Abundant, magnificent Life. Not a life with a messy closet but Life free of the burden of unrecognized truth. Life spent in the Light of the God of all Truth.