The Truth Indicator

By Niki Turner

I've got an idea for a spec fiction novel... It's about Christians who have "truth indicators" embedded in their heads. Or necks. Or arms. Or somewhere. Truth indicators that would flash, or chime, or set off a siren whenever we encounter a falsehood, letting us know deception is afoot.

OK, it's not an idea for a novel, it's a daydream, or maybe just wishful thinking. But it's not totally unrealistic according to the Bible.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. (John 16:13)

As Christians indwelt by the Holy Spirit of the Living God we should be able to ferret out lies when we come across them. We should be alert to deception. And we should be actively in search of truth with the help of the Holy Spirit.

And yet it seems we're often among the most gullible... the first to share "clickbait," the easiest to offend, the ones who read and believe the junk e-mail. There's something wrong with that.

We've been given the ultimate "truth-o-meter" in the form of the Holy Spirit. We should be the first ones to spot deception, the first to point out a trick, the ones who can discern lies and reveal the truth in every situation. It's practically a superpower! We're called to be a light in a dark place... why are we so often surprised by the darkness?

Here's my prayer for myself and all my friends...

May we, every time we open our email, or our Facebook account, or Twitter, or watch the news, or read the newspaper, or whatever passes before our eyes, be alert and aware of the most Holy Spirit of Truth who lives within us, leading us and guiding us, separating truth from deception on every level. And may we be bold (and kind at the same time), in declaring and distributing the truth and in denouncing deception. May we be carriers of truth in all that we do!

Niki Turner is a novelist, journalist, blogger, and the production manager for the Rio Blanco Herald Times weekly newspaper, one of the oldest continuously operating newspapers in Colorado. Her first completed manuscript earned second place in the Touched By Love 2009 contemporary category romance contest. She also blogs at www.nikiturner.net.

Niki is a Colorado native who grew up in Glenwood Springs—home of the world’s largest hot springs pool. She married her high school sweetheart 25 years ago. They have four children, four grandchildren, and two West Highland White Terriers.

In 2014, she published “Sadie’s Gift” as one of the Christmas Traditions novella collection with eight other authors.  The Skiing Suitor, one of the Love’s Sporting Chance series published by Forget-Me-Not Romances, released in August 2015. Her most recent project, “Santiago Sol,” was published by Pelican Book Group as part of the Passport to Romance novella collection. She’s currently working on a new novella for Whitefire Publishing and another one for Barbour House.