Set Me Free!

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.  Romans 15:1

Let’s just be honest, okay?  None of us is perfect.  Not our pastors, not our spouses, our children, and certainly not ourselves.  I am so far removed from perfect, it’s not even funny.  Yet, I find myself still putting people up on a pedestal and expecting more from them than I expect of myself. Which inevitably leads to sure failure and disappointment. People cannot live up to perfection any more than you and I can and we should not expect them to! 

What if we all told the TRUTH. Yes, the dirty, ugly, grimy, scary, disgusting truth?  Let’s put down the mask of pretense and get real. Christ has set us free and yet our human nature is to go back and take on the yoke of burden.  Being honest requires vulnerability. It means someone might be mean to us.  Someone might hurt us but you know what is bigger than all of that?  Someone might be set FREE by what you share.

Have you ever shared a deep dark secret with someone, only to have them look you in the eye and say, “Yeah, that happened to me too.”  There is a flood of relief that pulses through your body when you realize you are not alone! Finally, someone understands the turmoil within you.  That is powerful and freeing.  So if you have the chance to help someone else feel that same freedom, why do you care what some ill meaning person has to say?

I can tell you, I am pretty honest with my struggles here on my blog.  I might make some feel uncomfortable and that’s okay because I’ll take the chances of making a few uncomfortable for even the slim chance of helping one other person feel that wave of relief.  That is worth it all.  So let’s just tell the truth to set each other free.

We weren’t meant to bear these things alone. If we were, the bible would tell us to go it alone but it doesn’t.  In fact, God tells us to bear up under one another! If we don’t know what’s going on with you, we can’t pray for you and we certainly can’t help you.

If you suffer from depression, tell someone.  If you’ve suffered in the past, tell someone.

If you have dark thoughts, share them.

If you have a problem with swearing, ask for accountability and tell us!  You won’t be alone, this is one of my daily struggles.

If your faith is wavering, it’s okay to feel that way.  But if you go it alone, it can lead to a lonely dark path.

Are you a rage-aholic?

Are you suffering through addiction: porn, alcohol, tobacco, spending, food, drugs, or something else?

Do you feel anger at God for something that happened in your life?

Are you suffering financially but continue to pretend you’re okay?

I could go on and on.  The list could be enormous and yet, there are so many things we keep secret because we don’t want others to look down on us.  If you know someone who will look down on you, then don’t go to them for help. Seek someone you admire and trust.  And if some lovely soul comes to you with a struggle, please for the love of all that is good, hear them out without judging!

The body of Christ above all else should be a soft place to fall. The broken often come dressed up in pretty packaging.  Don’t let that fool you.  Let’s stop the charade of having it all together and get honest.  Real, dangerously honest and see how much our lives change for the better.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

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