It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for. Those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him… John 4:24 (The Message)
It wasn’t the word I had in mind for 2016. Still, I heard it repeated over and over throughout the holidays.
Honesty?
Really, Lord. Don’t You remember my epic fails? Like the times my words tossed gasoline on a smoldering fire? My eyebrows are still singed.
Correction. That was honesty with knee-jerk mad. Kind of like adding a little arsenic to pure water. Not a good way to get or give a dose of truth.
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. (Mother Teresa)
It’s the transparency part that makes me nervous. Every rejection, every misunderstanding and every offense whisper, settle. Settle for political correctness in the name of all that is sweetness and nice.
When I struggle on the dark side, I ask the Lord to uncover the lie that’s keeping me there. He removes the gilded exterior to expose it for what it is. A malignancy wrapped around my soul.
So, I could call my decision not to choose honesty by another name. Like timidity. Sounds low on the sin scale, right? Until I notice the opportunities its stolen, the relationships it caused me to bypass and the God-connections I refused because of is deception. Timidity is not nice. And it’s rooted in dishonesty.
My Yes to honesty can’t be a whisper no one can hear or hold me accountable for. I lift my hand to the Heavenly Teacher and speak loud and clear, Count me in.
I choose the truth even when it comes out wrong and makes a mess. After all, a mess needs truth to untangle it. And a mangled statement of truth is always better than a well-crafted lie.
Like a quote I read this morning – Being honest may not get me a lot of friends, but it’ll always get me the right ones.
I’ll put the weight of all my imperfections and fears straight on the back of truth. It’ll hold. It’ll do what only truth can do. After all, truth is rooted in love. The only love that really heals. The only love that really sets us free.
Shalom in the River,
Laurel Thomas