“Wisdom will keep you from following the way of evildoers, of those who twist words to pervert the truth.” (Proverbs 2:12 VOICE)
I routinely get forwarded messages that are filled with misinformation. Most of them start off with some truths--embellished with some nonsense that sounds believable--and finish with misdirections. How can you recognize perversions of truth? How do you respond to duplicities?
First of all, in order to notice discrepancies, we must have some familiarity with a subject. For example, most of us have learned to distrust official sounding emails with spelling and grammar mistakes. But, what if the email recipient was not fluent in English? Here is another example: I do not know how to sew clothes or follow a dress pattern. Even if there were multiple mistakes in a pattern, I would not be able to spot them. However, if I started a project and discovered the pattern was inaccurate, I would not purchase another pattern from the same company.
Being honest about what you know and what you don’t know is imperative. Learning to find trustworthy guides to help you understand unfamiliar topics is prudent.
If someone gives you wrong information and doesn’t correct his mistakes, it would not be smart to follow his directions in the future. Exaggeration of knowledge is a form of deception. Anyone who repeatedly perverts the truth cannot be trusted. Divine discernment gives you clarity. It keeps you from following misdirections from imposters. It prevents you from making wrong turns and wandering through dangerous alleys. Wisdom and insight are godly tools. Value them. Use them. Share them.
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