Luke 12:3 “What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.”
“We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation.
What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God’s sight. The Love of God”—The Ministry of the Unnoticed
Oswald Chambers
Consider with me for the moment how people present themselves. A young man takes a pretty girl on a date and is very careful not to embarass himself, placing his best foot forward he strives to give her an impression of himself that he believes is attractive or likeable.
A college graduate shows up for an interview and has prepared to respond to the questions with answers she believes a prospective boss wants to hear.
A recent divorcee decides he needs to go to church, so he puts on his suit and tie, leaving those around him with the impression that his life is good, that he has everything in order, and he is well balanced and living well.
Each of these scenarios are acted out every day in the world, what people see is all that is presented. When the pain and heartache are difficult to hide, some people pretend to see only what they want to believe. Deep inside, in the hidden recesses of the mind and heart lie the true self, the heartbreak, loneliness, depression, and sin aren’t addressed because they are the part of us we don’t want to acknowledge or refuse to believe.
If we continue to live in such a way where we neglect addressing the core issues of our lives, we will suffer under the weight of something we were never meant to carry. There is a process by which God will set us free from the weights of this world, we only need to allow Him to perform His good work.
Luke 8:17 “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
If we forget the moral responsibility we have before God in addressing our weaknesses, we will be called upon later and held accountable for our actions. We will lose out on the fullness of God’s plan for our lives if we don’t submit to Him in humility.
What we Present vs. Who we Are
There is more to people than meets the eye. Not everyone is broken, many have come through heartache and grief only to realize the hope that has always remained. Some are faithfully walking out their salvation in peace and hope, knowing that God will raise them up one day.
Jeremiah 23:24 “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”
Coming to the realization that our secret live are not really a secret at all, reminds us that to God our lives are an open book and helps us keep an eye toward a reality we all must face one day.
1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
The Lord resides as judge over all and we will all give an account for how we lived our lives. Some will progress into a glory that was purchased by Christ through His sacrifice, others will move into an existence of everlasting shame and regret—the lives people truly live are not just the ones when no one is watching, but are also the ones people do see, believers in Christ are called to represent Him to the world.
Do you live with a purpose to glorify Christ or yourself?
A big part of walking in healing is accepting God’s hand as He leads us in faith. If we can’t reach out and trust Him, we will never see where He wants to take us.
How do we translate our secret lives into an open expression of faith and trust in Christ?
Restoration
Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
The first step to healing is to have a willing heart for God to restore you. It’s one thing to pray and ask God to remove the weakness or the pain, its altogether a different story when it comes to you acting upon the faith you profess.
The Lord will move in your life if you allow Him, He loves you far more than you’ll ever know and His desire is for your freedom.
Joel 2:25-26 “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”
The promise has been made, the power to deliver is more than enough in Christ, the only thing holding you back is you. I know that sounds a little too self-empowering and heaven knows we have no shortage of motivational speakers, but if we can’t take ownership of who we really are, we will continue to live a false front for the rest of our lives.
The power of God is made manifest through His Holy Spirit and learning how to abide in the Spirit takes dedication, prayerful obedience, commitment, and some help from godly friends.
James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
It is through this process of humbling yourself before other believers and presenting an image that is less than perfect, less than ideal, and not as holy as you had hoped, that gives freedom for others to love you, help hold you accountable, and speak truth into your life.
Do you have fellowship with others where this can occur? If not, you need to seek them out, find a church that exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit, make yourself a little vulnerable, and find a pastor that is truly a shepherd. Walking together in honesty and support of one another is a key role of the church, it exemplifies Christ to the world and strengthens the body of Christ.
As You Heal
1 John 5:3-5 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
“The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. “
O. Chambers
As you grow, you learn what is important to God and you learn to follow those precepts, others will see that growth and give you encouragement. If your focus is on yourself, on exalting yourself before others, then pride gets in the way and erodes anything good that God wants to work out in you.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Do you want to see the world around you change? True restoration starts with God’s people and progresses into a an influence that affects the world around them.
Each individual in God’s Kingdom has a personal responsibility not only for themselves in growth and maturity but for the greater good. Your healing isn’t just about you, it’s about the others around you and how it affects them. We have sufficient motivation to grow together in these endeavors, knowing the Lord is building His people into an entity that will soon be revealed.
God’s church is a testament to His goodness and glory, how much more of a reason do we need for practicing holiness in our lives?
The real you is corrupt and fallen, the you that is faithful, at peace, and being salt and light in the world is the person you has learned to submit to the power of God and let Him take the lead.
The Lord heals, the Lord restores, and the Lord makes ready a people called by His name. Are you ready to submit to all that He has promised?
When you are, He will be there waiting with open arms.
U.T. 