Know the Truth of What You See

When you know the truth, you will be able to deal with the things you don’t know.

Knowledge is power, but when you don’t know what you don’t know, then your power can be painful – for you or for others.

Jesus said to them, “You declare yourself just, but God knows the truth of your hearts. What you consider exalted and important, is detestable in God’s sight.”

from Luke 16:15

We think we understand and we demand based on that limited understanding. When we know the truth of God and we embrace the truth in God then we understand we don’t nearly as much as we think we do.

I’ve confessed before, and I’ll dare to repeat it now: I have never been much of a football fan.

There. It’s been said. You know the truth.

Growing up, I went to Friday night football because that’s what you did. I didn’t watch the game, not usually. I sat around and visited with friends. It just never meant much to me.

I married a man that loves his college football and apparently high school football because he goes off and listens to the game on Friday nights. I’m fine with that. It means I don’t have to go to the game.

When it comes to college games, he watches the live games, watches replays, watches old games, and watches people talk about the games. His love and fascination have never transferred over, even after the commitment of “I do.”

I still don’t – like football, that is.

Believe me. I’ve tried!

Ten years into marriage and I still struggled. When I was offered the opportunity to write about football for a website, I jumped on it. I could learn more and get paid for the effort. I dug into information about the team. I read reports from the players’ hometowns. I got to know each of them as much as words on a screen would allow.

And I began to enjoy the game a little bit. It still was a far cry from love, but at least it didn’t pain me to sit through it.

Every year, I made a point to learn something about the players. I got to know the players. And then, one year, it happened. The team I deemed worthy of the win lost instead. The loss made me physically ill. I had cried out to God through the entire game, and I heard and saw nothing in response to my cry.

How could this be?

This morning, I understood what I experienced so many years ago. With clarity, I understood the truth. I didn’t know the players. I had read some articles about each of them. I had watched interviews with the players and about the players. Some of the players I even had the opportunity to see in person.

But I didn’t know the players.

I wasn’t part of the team I had deemed so worthy. I wasn’t a part of the coaching staff. I had watched their games. I had read articles about what they did and didn’t do. I watched more interviews with coaches and commentators.

But I didn’t know the team.

It’s amazing what you don’t know, even when you think you know.

The realization of how far off I was came with painful clarity as I looked at other situations around me. I think I know. I’ve read. I’ve researched. I’ve talked to others.

But I don’t know.

God knows.

God knows of the players. God knows each of the teams. God knows each of the people involved.  They don’t have to know Him for Him to know them. He knows. He knows their heart, and He knows the plans He has for them. He loves them, even if they don’t love Him.

When things aren’t going the way you think they should go – or when things are going the way you want but not the way others want – remember you don’t know what you don’t know, and you really don’t know what you think you do.