If I were asked to give a new Christian one piece of advice from my long years of experience, it might be this; “Don’t let facts distract you from the truth.” I know that sounds strange. You may even think it is an oxymoron; but it is advice every son or daughter of God will find useful.
When I was a boy, there was a very popular TV series called “Dragnet”. Each week fictional police sergeant Joe Friday and his partner would investigate a crime and bring the perpetrator to justice. When Sgt. Friday would interview witnesses, he would almost always tell them, “Just the facts, Ma’am” or “Just the facts, Sir.” He didn’t say, “Just the truth” because finding the truth was the job of the judge and jury after listening to sworn testimony. He just wanted to know the facts that surrounded the case so he could piece together evidence to present to the judge and jury.
Facts are those things that surround us in our current situation. They are real, but they also change as our situation changes. Each new situation we face has a new set of facts and those old facts are no longer relevant to us. Truth, on the other hand, never changes and stays with us from situation to situation throughout our life. As Christians, we have access to the truth through Jesus Christ. Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). John begins his gospel referring to Jesus as the personification of God’s Word that is eternal and true. That Truth dwells within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. He helps us understand the inspired and infallible written word of God in the Bible.
One example of putting truth over facts is found in the story of David and Goliath. When David encountered Goliath, he was confronted with these facts: he was much, much bigger than David; he was much stronger than David; he was better armed than David; and he was an experienced warrior, which David was not. Those facts were real, but instead of dwelling on them, David concentrated on the truth that Goliath was blaspheming the God of Israel, whom David loved. He knew his God would give him victory in spite of all of those facts. You know how that story ends. Truth won out over some overwhelming facts.
Does your current situation have you surrounded by discouraging facts? Don’t despair! Hold tightly to the truth that God will never fail you or abandon you. (Hebrews 13:5) He will give you strength and victory over the facts. Your situation will change and so will those facts you face now. I know that may seem impossible to you at the moment, but as Jesus said about a rich man going to heaven, “Humanly speaking it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Never let facts distract you from the Truth.