Today’s Mindfulness Moment: Truth, Discernment, and the Danger of Misinformation

I was thinking about something the other day after watching a TV segment on how people are starting to believe just about everything they hear. Few take the time anymore to check whether what they’ve heard is factual. That got me wondering…

We all receive information differently—through television, online stories, blogs, books, or word of mouth. But what matters most is how we process that information. How do we receive it, think about it, and decide whether it’s true?

Many of us have become lazy in seeking the truth. Instead of checking to see if what someone said is accurate, we accept it without a second thought. And because of this, we become easy targets for misinformation, disinformation, scams, schemes, and manipulative games.

A Real-World Example
Imagine receiving a text from a debt collection agency claiming you owe $450 for a light bill from 1986. The message seems official—complete with your old address—and they’re asking you to call and settle the debt.

Instead of researching the company or verifying the claim, you trust the message and share your personal info. Later, you discover it was a scam. Now your identity is compromised, and your finances are vulnerable.

Or think about this: You hear a news report claiming the sky is turning red and stars are falling. Would you get up to look out the window—or sit there frozen in fear, believing every word?

Misinformation is real. And it’s dangerous.

But What About the Misinformation We Spread?
This reflection isn’t just about scams. It’s also about the ways we, sometimes unknowingly, distort the truth to fit our narratives. We stretch it, dilute it, and misdirect others—often to protect our pride, position, or perspective.

This is how we get lost.

Fear sets in. Confusion follows. And in all of it, we forget that God has given us something to help us see clearly—discernment.

What is Discernment?

Discernment is more than just being smart. It’s the ability to recognize the difference between truth and lies, between what looks right and what is right.

According to Vocabulary.com, discernment is “a wise way of judging between things, or a particularly perceptive way of seeing things.”

But for us as people of God, discernment goes even deeper. It’s a spiritual sensitivity that helps us make sound decisions and recognize subtle truths in complex situations. It’s wisdom, perception, and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

It’s being able to say:
“That might sound good… but it’s not true.”
“That looks right… but God says otherwise.”

A Humbling Moment
As I was writing, I looked up a scripture—and almost changed the wording to fit how I felt it should sound. It would have sounded better to me, but it would’ve been false. I would have spread disinformation—not to help others—but to satisfy my own ego.

The Word of God clearly says not to change a single word or letter. Truth must remain truth.

Jesus Is the Truth
Jesus Christ is the Truth. There is no other way to make Him into anything else—yet many of us try. Even in the church, we bend truth to fit our lessons or traditions, leading people to trust us instead of pointing them back to Him.

Truth doesn’t need help. It doesn’t need to be dressed up, padded, or softened to be acceptable. Truth stands on its own.

Truth is raw.
It’s not always easy to hear.
Sometimes it hurts.
But it heals.
And it never changes.

Truth will always be the same—yesterday, today, and forever.

Today’s Prayer
For Discernment in a World of Confusion

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 (NIV)

Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a heart that longs for clarity in a world full of noise. There are times I’ve believed the lie instead of seeking the truth. I’ve taken words at face value, leaned on my own understanding, and trusted in voices that weren’t sent by You.

Lord, forgive me for the times I didn’t come to You first.
Help me to walk in spiritual discernment.
Sharpen my ears to hear Your voice clearly.
Teach me to test every word, every idea, and every influence against Your unchanging truth.

I ask for courage—to challenge what sounds good but is not from You.
I ask for humility—to admit when I’ve been misled.
And I ask for grace—to speak the truth in love to others who are still searching.

Let Your Spirit guide me in wisdom,
Let Your Word be my compass,
And let my heart be steady in You alone.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

“Truth Is…”
Truth doesn’t need help. It doesn’t need to be dressed up or softened to be acceptable. Truth stands on its own—yesterday, today, and forever.
— Dr. Tami M. Hines-Williams