Truth That Frees

“As Jesus spoke, many people put their faith in his words.  “If you remain faithful to my teachings,” he said, “you are truly my disciples.  Then, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:30-32

Notes for Contemplation as You Use this Devotional:

• This passage from the Gospel Writer called John, the most mystical of the four main Gospel writers, is sometimes titled, “The Truth that Frees.”
• The truth Jesus describes is not an abstract truth, but a conscious awareness at all times, in all ways, of our connection to God.  As we develop a consciousness like Jesus’s and choose to live as he instructs, we also feel our own connection with God.
• Merely knowing the truth is not enough.  We also need to live that truth in our daily actions and choices; that is what being a disciple means.  
• To know the truth is to put our faith in God first, as Jesus and other spiritual masters do.  To be free is to know that we each are divine expressions of God.  So, we are free when we realize our divine connection with God, as one of God’s beloveds and when we realize that all other people are created in that same awesome image and likeness.  
• Jesus knew the kind of world his followers lived in.  His teachings offer resources and strategies which we can use to free our souls from struggles and to discern how we will respond in any given situation.
• One of my teachers used to say: “Face the facts.  The facts are friendly.  At least you know what you’re dealing with.”  She also reminded us that we don’t have to like the facts.  Still, our awareness of them and their effects allow us boundless discernment, even when we dislike what’s occurring.  The truth is: Facts cannot change who we are and whose we are.

Contemplation Questions:

Ask yourself:

• Being as specific as possible, what facts am I facing in my life right now?
  • Without any judgment or emotion, freely list, word map, or illustrate every fact which applies.  For example, a grade on a test or the amount of money in a bank account.

• As I contemplate this list of facts, what do I like?  Dislike?
  • Letting your feelings have free rein for a short time, list, word map, or illustrate all your feelings, no matter how insignificant they seem.
  • Notice how your body feels as you do this, especially any sense of discomfort or relief.
  • Also, note which feelings you have for which items.

• As I continue contemplating this list, what judgments or restrictions have I placed on myself, especially if I was learning and growing, or managing a crisis or immense difficulty?
  • List, word map, or illustrate whatever judgments or restrictions apply. 

• As I continue contemplating this list, what judgments or restrictions have I placed on others, especially if they were learning and growing, or managing a crisis or immense difficulty?
  • List, word map, or illustrate whatever judgments or restrictions apply.

• When I connect with my heart, what are at least three (3) things I am willing to do to free myself from the judgments and restrictions?
  • List, word map, or illustrate as much as you can.

• When I connect with my heart, what are at least three (3) things I am willing to do to free others from the judgments and restrictions?
  • List, word map, or illustrate as much as you can.

• What are at least three (3) ways that I can deepen my connection with God so I truly feel my own worth and divinity and can honor that same worth and divinity in others, too?
  • List, word map, or illustrate as much as you can.

As you work with this devotional, know that you are a divine, beloved creation of God. Remember that Jesus as a spiritual master serves as a great example, not a great exception, so stay open to re-examining any theological teachings that limited God or made God into a superhero.  Think about God as both immanent, within us, and transcendent, with us in ways which extend beyond our human comprehension. When we put our faith in God, we are free to discern what is ours to do, both when we like the circumstances in our lives, and when we do not.

© 2021 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks – All rights reserved.