Each of us collects evidence to support our bias. We tend to move toward individuals and groups who think the same way as we do. It is human nature to seek out this bolstering of personal opinion. The problem with this way of living is that it creates an intellectual echo chamber. We only hear what we believe to be true in relation to our bias and with the support of those who agree with our opinion. As a result, we toss out any challenge to the facts of our evidence as irrelevant and untrue.
A test of our character comes when we discover that our gathered evidence does not support the facts of our bias. What makes this evidence-bias relationship so strong is how well it is crafted and presented to us by those who want to influence our thinking toward a particular point of view. These covert influencers do not have our well-being in mind. Their god is control and the more they can control our thinking without us realizing what is taking place the better. We become part of an obedient mass easily moved toward outcomes we would never have considered had we known the truth early in the journey.
Perhaps the next Great Awakening will not be another revival meeting advertised with glossy print, airbrushed photos, and promises that appeal only to the already convinced. What the Lord plans to do in His awakening will be to offer an awakening to all people from all walks of life awakening them from the slumber of dark disinformation campaigns to see the light of His truth from a Kingdom perspective.
“Then, we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever, they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:14).
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins
Featured Image by PDPics from Pixabay
