“Two Sides to Every Story?”

We often hear the phrase:  “There are two sides to every story.”

I contend that it actually should be:

“There is MY perspective, YOUR perspective, and the TRUTH.”

Truth is defined as “the real facts about something; the things that are true; a statement or idea that is true or accepted as true” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth

Oftentimes, when events happen in our lives, they are overlaid with our opinions, unmet expectations, disappointments, fears, insecurities, experiences, personalities, personal prejudices, our biases and even anger.

“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.“ - Anais Nin

I am reminded about the heated exchange of Tom Cruise’s character (Lt. Kaffee) and Jack Nicholson’s (Col. Jessep) in the movie A Few Good Men.

A Few Good Men is a 1992 film about the trial of two U.S. Marines accused of murder while serving at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/A_Few_Good_Men

Col. Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I think I'm entitled to.

Col. Jessep: *You want answers?*

Kaffee: *I want the truth!*

Col. Jessep: *You can't handle the truth!*

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104257/quotes

Dealing with the “truth” is often difficult for us.

The Bible tells us about “Truth”:

Galatians 4:16 (NKJV):  “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”

John 8:32 (NKJV): “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Joshua 24:14 (NKJV): “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, …”

Psalm 85:11 (NKJV): Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Psalm 100:5 (NJKV): For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV): Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

John 14:6 (NKJV): Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV):  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 John 1:8 (NKJV):  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Memorable Quotes:

“Do not make assumptions unless you know the whole story. If in doubt, ask the person directly.” – unknown

“Two sides to every story, yet people end up listening to one side and believe it to be the truth.” – unknown

"There are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle." – Paul J. Alessi

“Remember that there are always two sides to every story. Understanding is a three-edged sword.  Your side, their side, and the truth in the middle. Get all the facts before you jump to conclusions.” – J. Michael

“There are two sides to every story and then there's the TRUTH.” – unknown

“It is usual to assume there are two sides to every story but sometimes it is simply the TRUTH versus a LIE.” – unknown

“I’d rather be devastated by the truth than mesmerized with a lie.” – Janette McGowen

“The truth doesn’t cost you anything, but a lie could cost you everything.” – unknown

“People don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“If the words don't add up, its usually because the truth wasn't included in the equation.” – unknown

Although it may be painful, dealing in ‘truth” is the best means to grow and to draw closer to God…