Be Honest
1 John 1v6-7 (NIV)
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
I’m increasingly convinced that all God asks of us is honesty.
Honesty with ourselves, God and others - even a small amount of sincere intention, leads to genuine growth and holiness. It creates a deepening alignment between our will and God’s until our authentic living begins to resemble Christ. Without honesty, we present only a hologram of our true selves, and any apparent progress is merely an illusion.
The temptation, when burdened with sin, is to hide in secrecy and project that polished hologram instead. I’ve lived like this at times, and it can be isolating. After all, no one can see a person hiding in the dark (except God of course—and he still loves you in the dark). I remember walking to church, trying to cover up shame and anxiety to present my ‘best self’ to others. But I was robbing myself of being fully seen, known, and loved. I was missing out on living authentically in the present.
But there is GOOD NEWS! As Isaiah prophesied, ‘the people who walk in darkness will see a great light’. That light is Jesus Christ, and he promises that if we step into the light and begin to be honest with ourselves, God, and others, ‘we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus… purifies us from all sin.' I can personally testify to the forgiveness that comes through confession to God and the deep healing that comes through confessing to deeply trusted others.
Once we learn to be honest, recognise the darkness we live in, and step into the light, we can truly begin living in the present and to the fullest.
So please be honest; don’t try to tidy up the mess under the cover of darkness; switch on the lights and let God and others help.
Prayer - Father, give me the courage to be honest about my entire life, to live fully in the light.