What we believe matters. It doesn’t matter how much we believe in something if it isn’t true. Erwin Lutzer describes an incident he experienced on a golf course. Near a pond, he and his companions came upon a duck, who tried to lead them away from its nest. He understood the desire of the duck to keep anyone from disturbing her eggs, but when he looked into the nest all he saw was that she had been sitting on a single golf ball. The duck may have believed it would hatch, but it was not going to happen.
Historically, people have believed things that were later proven untrue. People once believed the earth was flat. They also believed the sun revolved around the earth. When the discovery of “Piltdown Man” caused many to believe the missing link to prove evolution had been found, it just turned out to be an elaborate hoax. In 1938, Orson Wells’ broadcast of “The War of the Worlds,” created a panic. People were convinced the earth was at that moment under attack by aliens. Sometimes, people believe things that just aren’t true.
False beliefs may be in place because of an innocent reason. Maybe all the facts have not been revealed. Or possibly there is a misunderstanding. But often it is malicious deception that spreads lies. With the use of AI, it is more important than ever to discern between true and false.
Sometimes, people simply refuse to believe the truth. But missing the truth of who God is and our accountability to Him, has eternal consequences.
In the Bible, God’s people often turned away from Him to worship idols. They followed false gods in order to be like the nations around them. God said they had abandoned Him–the fountain of living water. And they had dug for themselves cracked cisterns that could hold no water at all (Jeremiah 2:13). What an illustration of the futility of hanging on to false beliefs.
Satan is the enemy of God and of God’s people. From the beginning (Genesis 3) he has attacked the truth of who God is and distorted God’s Word. Jesus said Satan has always hated the truth. Jesus referred to him as “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44). Satan is behind the distortions and confusion that permeates our world, as culture attempts to redefine what God has established. Many are believing things that aren’t true.
The only protection against falsehood is to be grounded in the truth. God is the measure of truth. His Word is truth. His instructions are perfect, and trustworthy. The Bible proves itself true as we believe and act on it. The Bible teaches us the only way to know God is through a relationship with Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only way.
What we believe matters. No matter how much someone might believe in what is false, it won’t last. It has no eternal value. It’s like sitting on a golf ball, and expecting it to hatch into a duckling.
(Jesus said) I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24
(Jesus prayed) Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. John 17:17
How have you discovered that what we believe matters? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
© 2026 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image by Freddy from Pixabay
Thank you for the reminder about the Source of Truth. So happy to see you at the conference. 🙂 Prayers for you as you process and put the things you learned into practice.
Thank you, Joni. Back at you. Good to see you as well. It was a lot to take in.