Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 1223 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Fake News vs. Good News – Ask Gramps
Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.
Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1223 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday, we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.
As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time where we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.
We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes but will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.
So the question for this week is…
“Hey Gramps, we are bombarded on a daily basis with news reports that seem to be completely opposite from one another. Even on the internet, it seems like it is out of hand with a proliferation of conflicting and hostile opinions. Do you have some wisdom tips to help stay focused on what is true and valuable?”
Fake News vs. Good News
The internet and even other broadcast media can be wonderful tools. It does place a plethora of news, information, and facts at our fingertips. That said, we really need to be careful that we do not consume too much of the propaganda that is being spewed through traditional news outlets or the millions of self-appointed experts both on TV and especially on the internet. It is hard to discern what is truth and what is not today. We don’t want to take on the mindset of the fictional character Michael Scott from the popular TV sitcom “The Office” when he said in one episode, “Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.”
As helpful as the Internet can be, we obviously can’t trust everything we read there. We have to check the sources to make sure the news is reliable. I caution investing too much time reading, watching, or listening to most news today because it has never been so obvious that most sources have taken on a certain political and societal viewpoint. True investigative journalism that is not stemming from a certain ideology seems to become rarer with each news cycle.
When you do invest time in sourcing news, seek out the most reliable sources from both sides of the political and societal spectrum, and then compare the coverage. You will find that the truth probably lands somewhere in between. Attempt to find as unbiased coverage as possible, and also try to discern what the worldview is of that news source. If the worldview is purely secular, they will bend the coverage based on that. If you can locate a Biblically-based worldview news source, it should line up more with the truth of God’s Word. If it does not, it is not a Biblically-based worldview, although it may claim to be. We must not confuse a seemingly conservative patriotic worldview with a Biblical Worldview, they are not the same.
Once you have synthesized the information that you have taken into your mind, you must align it with God’s Word to determine the truth. God’s Word is always reliable. Jesus Christ came to the world proclaiming the Good News in Mark 1:15, “’The time promised by God has come at last!’ he announced. ‘The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!'”
Even though most modern news providers will intentionally, or unintentionally, mislead us through their slanted news coverage, we can confidently share Jesus’ Good News with others because it is the truth. All truth comes from God.
When God’s Son said He was bringing Good News, it was rock-solid truth, whether people believed it or not. For those first disciples who believed, it changed their lives, and they took the Good News into the world.
Most news we hear today is not transformational and is here today and gone tomorrow. God’s truth, on the other hand, is just as transformational today as it was two-thousand years ago. Jesus may not ask you to leave your family or change your career, but He does expect your life to be different.
Our lives should never be Fake News, but Good News to the world. This is so much more valuable than any news services that we subscribe to. It is also more than just good advice. It is something that happens to us, rather than something we make happen ourselves. Instead of spreading questionable, or known fake news, our job as Christ-Followers is to continually expose ourselves to God’s Good News, and then share that Good News to everyone we meet through word, action, and deed.
Think of how God’s Good News has changed your life. Praise God for His truth and be sensitive to opportunities to share the Good News with others.
Luke 9:6 – So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 1222 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!