“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:5 ESV

Misconception: “a view or opinion that is incorrect because based on faulty thinking or understanding” (Oxford Languages Dictionary)

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Recently I awoke one morning and saw this on the floor at the foot of my bed:

What does it look like to you?

Yup. . . looks a bit like a mouse.

I’m very proud of the fact that I didn’t freak out and instead attempted to rationalize the situation. I took an inventory of things I knew to be true:

• It wasn’t moving, even when I turned the lights on, so no matter what it was, it was dead.
• It was fuzzy.
• It wasn’t there when I went to the night before.
• I saw a mouse in the driveway the day before, so that’s why my mind went there first.
• We’ve never had a mouse in the house other than in the basement, and there haven’t been any down there recently.

How often do I perceive situations incorrectly because I don’t take the time to consider what I know to be true?

When dealing with other people: Sometimes the truth is as simple as knowing that God loves them, so I need to love them, too (John 13:34-35).

When I hear a rumor about a situation going on at work or at church: (Don’t give credence to rumors.) Rely on what you know to be true about the situation because you’ve experienced it or have factual information from the original source, not second-hand information. That never ends well. So speak truth: Proverbs 12:19 ESV

I eventually got the garbage can and scooped it up. . . turns out it was a piece of lint that blew from somewhere because I slept with the window open, which I rarely do.

What did I learn?

• Slow down and be rational
• Being rational makes me less likely to freak out
• I need to clean my room

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Bonus thought: How are my misconceptions impacting other people?

John 7:40-43 ESV – Some Jewish leaders shared their incorrect understanding with the people, stating that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, not Galilee. Although the prophecy was correct (Micah 5:2), their understanding was incorrect, because Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem. It wasn’t a secret (Matthew 2:1-2). How many Jews were hindered in their belief in Jesus as the Christ because they listened to misconceptions?

What misconceptions do you have? How do they impact your life and the lives of others?

“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:5 ESV