Aug
29
Beware the RDF
Filed Under Devotional
Steve Jobs is the current CEO of Apple. He is something of a rock star in the high tech community and has a legendary personality. Many, many people have heard him speak in person (myself included) and find him very persuasive. So much so that he is said to have his own personal Reality Distortion Field. The joke being that when you are in close proximity of Steve you believe everything he tells you without challenge. Everything sounds perfect and amazing. Then, in the hours and days afterwards, people begin to think of the problems or holes in the new products he’s presented. Questions are asked and, suddenly, Steve doesn’t seem so great. It happens at least twice a year at the two major trade shows at which he speaks. It happens every time.
I have experienced the Reality Distortion Field and can attest to its power. The presentation is flawless and very convincing… until you look under the covers.
“The first to present his case seems right,
till another comes forward and questions him.” Proverbs 18:17
Steve is just a very visible version of what Solomon is writing about here. We need to take the same attitude when listening to politicians, pastors, friends, or anyone else in life. Unless you already know and trust that person deeply, you should validate statements about truth and life against what is known to be true: God’s Word.
Your faith is based on the idea that God’s Word is inerrant and is truth. Any words said outside of its pages that do not agree are not true. Don’t take the politician’s words to be true. Don’t take the words of the guy knocking on your door to be true. And, if the person speaking those words doesn’t want to compare his statements to Scripture, you can guess how much truth they have.
Seek truth. Compare everything else against truth.
Beware the RDF.