honesty
I grew up learning that "honesty is the best policy". I still believe this! But I want to look at this word a little bit differently from what is traditional. First let me define "honest". According to Dictionary.com "honest" means being honorable in principles, intentions, and actions; upright and fair. It also means being genuine or unadulterated. Sticking to principles and being genuine about those principles. Hmmm....
walls
I love the song, "If We're Honest" by Francesca Batistelli. The very first words to the song are,
"Truth is harder than a lie, The dark seems safer than the light"
I encourage you to listen to the whole song. It talks about how we like to hide because we are so messy inside. It states that we build walls so that no one can get through. And I agree! We hide what is inside and keep out what is perceptively hurtful. I think that everybody is tempted to build walls around themselves. It is human nature. The walls are about protection. We could talk about all sorts of different walls. One kind of wall, I think, that we, as Christians, tend to be all about is looking "as if". Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't it seem like we spend tons of energy keeping what's "messy" inside the walls?
"Truth is harder than a lie, The dark seems safer than the light"
I encourage you to listen to the whole song. It talks about how we like to hide because we are so messy inside. It states that we build walls so that no one can get through. And I agree! We hide what is inside and keep out what is perceptively hurtful. I think that everybody is tempted to build walls around themselves. It is human nature. The walls are about protection. We could talk about all sorts of different walls. One kind of wall, I think, that we, as Christians, tend to be all about is looking "as if". Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't it seem like we spend tons of energy keeping what's "messy" inside the walls?
being honest
So what does it mean to be honest then? In the context that I want to talk about, it means allowing people around you to see the REAL you. The person whom God created you to be. The unique and specially called you. But that "you" has been plastered with the ugliness and mud of sin. And we all know that about ourselves, whether we readily admit it or not. This is really the problem. How truthful are we about this ugliness inside of us? To be honest really does mean that we not lie to ourselves about the core of sin that deeply resides in us.
Be Separate
The principles of the world teach us to "look strong", "be tough", "be proud", "don't show your emotions", "don't reveal the soul". Here's a hard question (answer honestly): Do you really see a difference in how most Christians handle themselves from the people in the world? Generally speaking, I don't. I mean, this isn't a complete shame on the Church because we mature according to the pace of the Spirit of God. But, we do bear responsibility to a degree because if we hide who we are from the Spirit of God, then there is no growth or maturity in that. It really is no wonder why the world gets confused by the behavior of Christians. Honestly, the two do LOOK too much the same. I look too much the same! Not, mind you, that we are the same. Because, in reality, we are holy, we are washed, we are redeemed! In fact, the Spirit of the Living, One True God lives in us!
transparency
Does the Bible teach us to be strong? Well, Joshua was told to be "strong and courageous". But where did his strength come from? Paul tells us:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power (strength) is perfected in weakness" 2Corinthians 12:9
It isn't our strength. It is the strength of God. Paul did not bluster on about how strong he was. But Paul did boast about his weaknesses. Just like Paul, we are weak too and we are broken...every human being is broken. It is natural to put up walls to hide our weakness... our brokenness. But, we aren't supposed to do what is natural. Not only did Paul not hide his weaknesses....he wore his weakness on the outside. Not only did he not hide it, he proclaimed it! In case I am not making this clear enough, Paul knew how to let those walls come crashing down and allow people to see his ugliness. Guess what else happens when we become so transparent that our weaknesses are found out....Christ in us is found out as well.
So what does it mean to be honest then? In the context that I want to talk about, it means allowing people around you to see the REAL you. The person whom God created you to be. The unique and specially called you. But that "you" has been plastered with the ugliness and mud of sin. And we all know that about ourselves, whether we readily admit it or not. This is really the problem. How truthful are we about this ugliness inside of us? To be honest really does mean that we not lie to ourselves about the core of sin that deeply resides in us.
Be Separate
The principles of the world teach us to "look strong", "be tough", "be proud", "don't show your emotions", "don't reveal the soul". Here's a hard question (answer honestly): Do you really see a difference in how most Christians handle themselves from the people in the world? Generally speaking, I don't. I mean, this isn't a complete shame on the Church because we mature according to the pace of the Spirit of God. But, we do bear responsibility to a degree because if we hide who we are from the Spirit of God, then there is no growth or maturity in that. It really is no wonder why the world gets confused by the behavior of Christians. Honestly, the two do LOOK too much the same. I look too much the same! Not, mind you, that we are the same. Because, in reality, we are holy, we are washed, we are redeemed! In fact, the Spirit of the Living, One True God lives in us!
transparency
Does the Bible teach us to be strong? Well, Joshua was told to be "strong and courageous". But where did his strength come from? Paul tells us:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power (strength) is perfected in weakness" 2Corinthians 12:9
It isn't our strength. It is the strength of God. Paul did not bluster on about how strong he was. But Paul did boast about his weaknesses. Just like Paul, we are weak too and we are broken...every human being is broken. It is natural to put up walls to hide our weakness... our brokenness. But, we aren't supposed to do what is natural. Not only did Paul not hide his weaknesses....he wore his weakness on the outside. Not only did he not hide it, he proclaimed it! In case I am not making this clear enough, Paul knew how to let those walls come crashing down and allow people to see his ugliness. Guess what else happens when we become so transparent that our weaknesses are found out....Christ in us is found out as well.
a testimony to healing
I had a dream when my son was 3 years old, that we lived in a glass house. Every person that drove or walked by could see what was happening in my house at any given moment. I felt both joyful and exposed when I woke up. I have never forgotten that dream nor how I felt when I woke up because I knew it was from the Lord. I believe that Lord was telling me that someday, I would no longer try to hide behind walls. Someday, I would allow myself to be seen. Someday, the duplicity would be less. Praise God that even through my stubbornness, the Lord has not relented in His promise to me. I find that the road is challenging and painful, at times. The pain is beneficial and I now clearly see this. Somewhat like having a wound cleaned out. I had to give permission for the cleaning to begin. I had to come to realize that the pain is for my good and the glory of God.
About the word "diaphanous"
The word came about around 1200...originally meaning "exempt, free from guilt". Later it came to mean "sheer or sparse". Eventually, the meaning evolved to "translucent, pure, unmixed". In this definition there is the idea of "very steep" with the notion of "continuing on without halting".
-excerpts from Online Etymolgy Dictionary. www.etymonline.com
What an apt word. I could not have invented my own word that would have better described the concept here. Truly we are "exempt and free from guilt". Are you willing to take the next steps, to be "sheer, sparse, translucent or pure"? Will you be "unmixed" with the world? Are you willing to climb the "very steep" path and "continue on it without halting"? The Lord is ready and waiting to take you on this adventure.
