"You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" The iconic quote by Col Nathan Jessup in the movie A Few Good Men is one of my favorites. I'm a huge movie nerd (up until about 2018 anyway) and the pursuit of truth in this movie riles me up. I love the way Tom Cruise's character doesn't stop pushing until a detrimental truth is exposed. A truth shakes their world and has consequences that ripple through the very foundation of their movie lives.

Truth can have the same effect on our lives and the foundations we've built them on - the intangible foundations of values and beliefs as well as the physical foundations bound by the laws of physics and engineering. As riveting as the latter can be, we'll leave that to the subject matter experts...

Think about the years you have lived as a saint. The number of times the Lord opened up the truth most likely cannot be counted. Though not generally malicious, parents and society indoctrinate children in deception - a consequence of this fallen world. "Truth serves as the cornerstone of knowledge. Without a commitment to truth, our beliefs and decisions would be based on falsehoods, leading to confusion and mistrust. In scientific inquiry, truth is derived from empirical evidence and rigorous testing, ensuring findings are valid and reproducible" (diversedaily.com, the foundation of knowledge).

It has been my experience that giving and receiving truth is more an act of love than any physical gesture known to man. The Lord God, Creator of the heavens and earth, Savior of mankind has not only given Himself that we may know the truth but used that truth to bring purpose and belonging to our lives. What better example of love could exist? Oh, there was that one thing...

He sent His son. It feels like I harp on this. It is essential to the foundation of our lives that we understand this one thing. Most of us cannot imagine the type of sacrifice Col Nathan Jessup gave and so we don't. The same can be said for the sacrifice of Jesus. We don't think about it, because we cannot understand it. You will know the truth [of Jesus] and the truth will set you free (John 8:12). If we try to imagine the sacrifice and contemplate the ripples it creates, we develop a major faultline in the foundation we built our lives on. This truth about love, if we fully receive and accept it, is step number one in fighting the battle CCF is called to fight.