Seek Truth (by Cathe Laurie)

“Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:5-7 ESV).

The world is full of experts now, isn’t it? Somehow, with the small devices we hold in our hands, we think we know it all.

Scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or even some Christian podcasts today, and you’ll see a flood of “hot takes” on Scripture, wild accusations against pastors and ministries, conspiracy-laced “discernment” videos, and dramatic “exposés” that spread faster than wildfire. All it takes is a click, and suddenly the web of rumors and lies grows exponentially. It’s like a ramped-up version of that game “telephone,” where you pass along information and it gets twisted and morphed until finally, it’s a completely different version than when you began.

You know, it breaks my heart because I’ve seen the unraveling of some women—they’re hungry for truth, vulnerable, and quick to hit “share” on something that sounded bold and spiritual, only to realize later it was slander dressed up as discernment. And I’ve watched friends get pulled into divisive rabbit holes that left them anxious, angry, and far from the joy of Jesus.

Paul’s Warning

Paul warns in 2 Timothy 3:6–7 about women who are “always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Paul doesn’t mince words there. He says in the last days people will be lovers of self, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” And one of the marks? They “creep into households”—today, that’s our phones, our feeds—and capture weak, burdened, gullible women loaded down with sins and led astray by various passions.

The world twists the Word of God, bending it to benefit our own agendas. If we’re not careful, we’ll fall for these humanized versions of truth rather than the one true version from God Himself.

Luke’s Example

Luke was a careful, humble, beloved physician-historian and went to extraordinary lengths to get this right when he wrote his account of Jesus’ life. He talked to eyewitnesses, dug deep into sources, cross-checked everything, and wrote it all down in an orderly way so that we could have rock-solid certainty about Jesus. This wasn’t gossip, speculation, or sensational clicks. It was truth, handled with fear and trembling because he knew eternity hangs on it.

Luke’s example is a quiet rebuke to all the noise the world throws at us. Luke didn’t rush to publish. He didn’t traffic in accusations. He didn’t build a following on outrage. He investigated, prayed, wrote what was true, and pointed us to Jesus—not to controversy.

So, here’s my loving warning and plea: Let’s be women who handle God’s Word like Luke did with humility, care, and a determination to get it right. Let’s be slow to speak, quick to verify, and always, always pointing people to Christ, not to the latest drama.

If something online makes you feel more suspicious than worshipful, more divided than unified, more proud of your “discernment” than broken over your own sin, pause. Ask: Is this building up the body, or tearing it down? Is this the fruit of the Spirit, or the work of the flesh?

We’re in the last days Paul talked about. The warnings are real. But so is the certainty Luke gives us: Jesus is Lord, salvation is for everyone who calls on Him, and God is still on the throne. So let’s stand in His Truth!

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.