The truth shall set you free...

For us young people, it may sound a bit… ‘off’. Truth doesn’t set us free, instead it bounds us and deprives us from our freedom. The only thing that truth seems to lead us to is this reaction – “What?!! You mean I can’t do that?” The truth is this: truth hurts.

I heard of this most romantic story from a pastor…

During their Form 5 year, John and Mary, both Christians, fell in love with each other. They felt that the “feeling” was right and decided to “go steady”. Few months down the road they decide that it was time to inform their parents about their relationship. Guess what happened? Mary’s dad totally disapproves. Sounds like a typical Chinese series? Anyone starting to hate the father now? Wait lah…

Mary wouldn’t let go of the matter without a fight. “What must we do to gain your approval and blessing?” Mary asked with tears in her eyes. Her father sits her down gently and waits for her to be calm. Then he said,

“I want your boyfriend to have gone through college, and be settled down with a job. I also want him to be able to be friends with me.”

Hearing her dad’s requirements, Mary informs John and they both decide to go along with dad’s wishes. In the next few years, John enrolls himself in college, graduates and gets a decent job. Through it all, John frequently visits Mary’s house. Not for Mary, but to befriend the father. They talked about books, current events, shared experiences and thoughts, played chess… You can tell the ending by now, right?

It happened during one of John’s visit to Mary’s house when the father took Mary aside and said, “So, when are you going to marry this guy?”

Most youths today wouldn’t respond to their parents’ or leaders’ disapproval like Mary did. “Why should I do it their way?” Because they know better… “I can’t accept that!!” Well, the truth hurts…

They are there to guide us through life, helping us to avoid pitfalls that they themselves may have fallen into. They love us. Can we appreciate them more? Why do we want to make our teenage lives so miserable by constant rebellion and pride, refusing to admit that someone DOES KNOW BETTER?

The truth shall set you free. But you’ll only know it when you practice it and submit to it… or find out the hard way. Would you accept the fact that if you jump down from KL tower, gravity will pull you down? Or you want to try it for yourself? I think that’s what we young people always do. We prefer finding out the hard way, to fall flat on our backs before we finally say, “Yeah, I guess you’re right…”

It’s not too late to believe it. The truth shall set you free, that a fact. Really!! God said it. Or do you know better?

Proverbs 11:2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.