Transparency

Published 2:17 pm Thursday, October 26, 2023

Do you think that you can hide anything from the Lord? The scriptures make it very plain that He knows every thought we have and He even knows the motives of our hearts. Why would we think that the God who created us in His own image and likeness, would not be interested in every aspect of our lives? Where I think most of us get twisted in our thinking, is that we think He is like the suspicious parent or policeman who is trying to catch us in our sin and folly. We live under a shadow of guilt and shame, assuming that He is measuring our deeds and thoughts by some standard that not one of us could attain. Much of the church is under this misconception – we have been taught to perform, to earn our way into His favor by our actions (and motives).

Even if it is not obvious, it is a subtle part of the belief system of many wonderful believers. Desiring to please the Lord (and the church leadership) we fall into a performance trap that only gets more demanding as time goes on. I have been as guilty of this as anyone, but I believe through proper teaching on our Identity – who we are in Christ Jesus – we can move into a whole different relationship with the Lord which will ultimately be reflected in our daily lives with others.

We must come to know and understand that we are first and foremost His sons and daughters. We are not slaves or servants. We did not do anything to deserve this familial relationship. It is the Father’s good pleasure to reveal His Kingdom to us and through us. From the very beginning, in the garden, God came to man for the purpose of fellowship and sharing His dreams with us. He wants to make us just like Jesus!

As I have been observing different people I have noticed several characteristics about those who look and act most like Jesus. Every one of them exhibits a spirit of humility. They may operate in a high level of gifting and anointing but would also be recognized for their true humility. There is no guile (deceitfulness) in them. The biblical meaning of humility is “to disregard all concern for rank and privilege and to live one’s life in service to the least of Christ’s disciples. To accept all, to serve all and to prefer all.”

There is a vulnerability and transparency about these individuals that makes me know they are real people with real life issues that are not really any different than my own. There seems to be a willingness to open up and share, not for sympathy but a true desire for prayer and concern.

It is not necessarily wise to share every detail of your life in a public way (like some people on Facebook do), but having individuals in your life that you trust, that have your best interests in their hearts gives you the opportunity to be your true self. Do you have a few people in your life that you can share your deepest heart feelings with? Those are individuals who will sacrifice time to listen, to pray and to act on your behalf. They can hold confidentiality when you share something with them that could make you vulnerable and ultimately feeling betrayed.

Those few individuals that I am describing have paid a very high price to be where they are at today. Every one of us that are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to walk out our daily lives in the best way possible that will bring honor and glory to His name. Every one of us has a sphere of influence, be it only our natural family or opportunities in the work place, our neighborhood and beyond. We tend to put people who are in “full time ministry” in a totally different category – perhaps setting them up on a pedestal or critiquing their every move and motive. But God has called you to affect the lives and atmosphere of those whose lives you touch the same way He has called me to influence those He has placed around me.

In a world today where everyone is looking for meaning and purpose, where every kind of doctrine and philosophy is vying for your attention, how do you decide what is genuine? Most people that are following an individual or group are doing it from a sincere heart. and yet history shows us just how easily people can be deceived. I could make a long list of religions and philosophies that have led large groups of followers astray.

If you have ever watched a documentary on the life of Adolph Hitler, you might grasp an understanding of how he deceived so many people, including a lot of the church in Germany at the time of his ruthless rule of death. There are now those who are trying to deny the Holocaust and all of the atrocities that took place because of a man who was simply a tool for evil and not for the good of humanity.

Although there is not a single voice or personality that is trying to do the same thing today, the hatred for Jewish people all over the world has continued to increase exponentially.

There is prejudice and bias toward most every people group some place in the world. Instead of loving each other for our uniqueness and diversity, we use those differences to separate us from anyone that is not like us. Why did God create us each uniquely? I believe it was for His good pleasure – the same way just a quick observation into the animal or plant kingdom will verify God’s amazing creativity! His desire is that we could walk in unity and harmony with each other. This can only happen when leaders in all the spheres of influence are walking in humility and love for all of mankind. We need to celebrate each other more. We need to honor and respect the uniqueness of every individual. We need the true church of Jesus Christ to begin to demonstrate by our actions, our lifestyles and our humility the same lifestyle that Jesus demonstrated while here in earth as the God-man. He was subject to all of the temptations that every man has faced. He experienced every emotion that we have experienced. Yet, because of His great love for humanity, He did not yield to those temptations or allow His emotions to influence His decisions in a way that would be contrary to His Father’s nature and character. Where are the leaders today that will pay the price to change their community? Where are the followers who will recognize that kind of individual and come along side of him or her to change the atmosphere of their community?