The Joy of the Journey
Truth Versus Myth
We live in a world filled with messages competing for our attention. Culture tells us what should make us happy, social media tells us what success should look like, and our own feelings can tell us what must be true. Yet not every message we hear is truth. Some are myths or ideas repeated so often that we begin to accept them without examining them in the light of Scripture. The Christian is called to something different: not merely to know the truth, but to walk in it.
Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Truth is not determined by popularity, emotion, or changing cultural opinion. God Himself is the source of truth, and His Word reveals truth to us. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” When life becomes confusing, Scripture gives us a reliable light by which to walk.
A myth does not always sound ridiculous. In fact, spiritual myths are dangerous because they often contain enough truth to sound believable. One common myth says, “Follow your heart.” Yet Jeremiah 17:9 warns, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Our feelings matter, but they were never designed to be our final authority. We do not follow our hearts; we surrender our hearts to God and allow His truth to direct us.
The apostle John wrote in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Notice that truth is something we walk in. Biblical truth is not simply information stored in our minds. It shapes our decisions, relationships, priorities, speech, and character. Ephesians 5:8 tells believers, “Walk as children of light.” If Christ has changed us, our lives should increasingly reflect what He says is true.
The enemy has always used deception to pull people away from God. Jesus said of the devil, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan wants us to believe myths such as: “God could never forgive me,” “I will never change,” “My past defines me,” or “Obedience to God will keep me from enjoying life.” But Jesus declared, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Lies produce chains; truth produces freedom.
We must learn to test or filter what we hear through the lens of the Bible. Because deception is real, believers must develop spiritual discernment. First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Every idea should be measured against Scripture. Does it agree with God’s Word? Does it honor Jesus? Does it lead toward holiness, obedience, love, and faithfulness? Romans 12:2 calls us to be “transformed by the renewal of your mind.” A renewed mind learns to recognize the difference between biblical truth and cultural myth.
Walking in truth is a daily decision. Colossians 2:6 says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” We walk in truth by remaining close to Christ, reading His Word, praying, listening to the Holy Spirit, and obeying what God reveals. We must refuse to build our lives on slogans, assumptions, traditions, or feelings when they contradict Scripture.
The world will continue producing new myths, but God’s truth does not change. Isaiah 40:8 declares, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” The safest place for the believer is not walking according to what feels true, sounds true, or is called true by the culture. The safest place is walking in the truth God has already spoken.
Do not simply ask, “What do I believe?” Ask, “Is what I believe true according to God’s Word?” When we choose truth over myth, we choose light over darkness, freedom over bondage, and the solid foundation of Christ over the shifting opinions of the world.
