Honesty is more than simply not lying. It’s the act of sharing what we think about, and how we perceive the world around us. Too often we are afraid to speak the truth, but the truth is used by God to set His people free. How can we spread the word of God if we don’t believe it enough to live according to what it says?
“For I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind.”
– 2 Timothy 1:7
I am starting this blog because it’s in my heart. I don’t have a plan for the way it will turn out, and I honestly don’t have a motive for writing it. I truly believe that God has a plan for everyone, and maybe God has plans for someone to read it, or maybe He just wants me to learn something new while I’m writing it.
Perhaps after reading the first couple of lines, you’ve decided that it’s not for you. If that’s the case before you close it, know that God has a plan for your life and being transparent doesn’t mean you’re trusting people too much, but it means you are trusting God enough.
“They have overcome by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives unto death” -Revelation 12:11
I want to share my story with you, whoever you are. I want to meet you right where you’re at and speak hope into your heart. God uses testimonies to speak to people, and I believe He will speak to you through mine.
As I’m writing I am thinking of who might be reading this. Are you young or are you old? Are you a woman or a man? Do you love to read or is this a challenge for you? Have you been lied to? Have you been misled? Do you know God? Do you love God? Are you angry at someone? Are you angry with God? Have you been betrayed? Are you searching for something and don’t know what it is? Are you a steadfast believer just waiting on God to move you forward in His will for your life? Have you been abused? Are you being abused? I truly wish I could know you, but I am blessed to know that God knows you. He knows where you’ve been, where you are and where you will be.
I pray that sharing my journey will bless you in yours.
What do you think about that no one else knows? Knowing yourself is absolute, but being yourself is an art. Minds wander, it’s just a fact. Thoughts come over us like ocean waves crash over sand-castles. Some thoughts are good, and some are bad. We dream and sometimes we sink. We believe fully, and other times we believe without receiving. Faith moves in us, but we often live outside of its abilities because fear is powerlessly controlling us.
See, faith isn’t an emotion. Faith is knowing what is true regardless of emotions.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God: for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” -Hebrews 11:6
I love this passage because since Jesus died on the cross He has taken the place of faith. Now it is impossible to please God without having faith in Christ.
You may or may not believe in Jesus, but regardless of what you believe, He is still real. There is good news attached to this fact! Since Jesus died in order that He could abide in us by the Holy Spirit, faith now lives in us. Guess what that means? It means that we can never claim we don’t have enough faith. Jesus is the essence of faith, and He now dwells in us. Jesus is more than enough. Life isn’t what we see or believe on the outside. It’s not what we do, it’s who we are. It’s about the heart, the mind, and the very foundation of our existence.
Where is your head today?
Do you hide your thoughts because you’re ashamed? Do you run from the truth because you’re afraid it’s not true? Do you lie because you’re afraid of your mind? I hid my thoughts for most of my life because I was ashamed of them. I was in bondage because I felt I couldn’t be honest, and I was trapped in guilt. I lied to people and I lied to myself. Lying used to be easy for me because I could twist a lie into a truth in my head. When I finally heard the word of God I was afraid it wasn’t true. I had previously convinced myself to believe many things that I knew weren’t correct. I thought to myself, why would this gospel be any different? I questioned anything and everything, and inwardly I labeled myself unstable.
The enemy (aka Satan) prowls around near our souls, where our emotions often times rule us. I used to lie to myself and others so I could hide what I was thinking. I lied to keep people from breaking my heart, but I was breaking my own heart instead. After days of self-doubt and oppression, I decided to believe in Gods words, because His words instructed against dishonesty. We all know it’s not good to lie. God says to come as you are and to be true to yourself. A God who cannot lie asks His people to be honest; a Father who will not lie asks His children to be honest. It makes sense. At last, in a world of dishonest gain, I discovered that truth is blameless.
Awareness is critical.
The truth is that every action started with a thought, but not every thought is your thought. We have the power to take our thoughts captive and choose not to think about certain things. If God asks us to take them captive, doesn’t that tell you they are coming from an outside source? Not all thoughts are yours. They become yours when you entertain them. The problem is that some people claim evil thoughts as their own, and fall into a whirlwind of lies. Why would we accuse ourselves?
Think about that for a moment.
We are ashamed of some thoughts before they are ever anything more. The Word of God warns us that the devil is an accuser. Yet half of the world is convinced they are accusing themselves. The truth is that we have more control than we’ve been believing. The truth is that we ought to be willing to hear one another. Transparency is the breakthrough that the church has been seeking. When we are aware of the negative thoughts passing through the mind – without accusing – we will be able to battle against lies with the truth.
The devil wants to keep us where we are insecure. If he can keep us ashamed than he thinks he’s won. God says we have overcome because Jesus overcame the world. If Jesus overcame the world, that means the devil isn’t winning. Jesus already won. That means that even though we presently see evil, evil is not winning. God’s timeline is beyond understanding, and satan’s timeline is short. God sees the beginning and the end. The war was won when Jesus took His last breath, condemning sin in the flesh in order to set those He loves free. He says we aren’t of this world, and that we are seated in heavenly places as children of light. God is light. Therefore we are children of God.
Whoever you are, I would invite you to practice being transparent. Start with those closest to you, and move forward from there. It’s been a tough journey for me, but it has also been the most beneficial. Turns out there are more people willing to listen than I thought. Be brave, and know who you belong to.
The truth isn’t too good to be true, it’s good because it is true.
“Be still and know that He is God.” -Psalm 46:10
S u n f l o w e r Talk 
Leave a comment