More about truth...

Instead of moving forward to the next two parts of the armor of God, I would like to expound a bit on living in truth. Their were several comments concerning this subject on Standing Strong Against Warfare Part 2 that needed further explanation given. I will be moving on to Part 3 later this week. Today I will address more about standing in truth and tomorrow I will be giving you the opportunity to "be" the body of Christ. Can't tell you about it yet. You'll have to check it out tomorrow....

Coming from a childhood of dysfunction myself, I know a fair bit about keeping secrets. I know what its like to live a life behind a mask. I also know what it is like to have things you are ashamed of that you want no one to know about. I carried so much shame with me it made my shoulders hunch over. The problem was, a large majority of the shame I carried was not my own. It belonged to those that did things to hurt me. As a child, I learned how to take on everyone elses shame. Dad left, my fault. Step Dad abused me, my fault. Mom to busy with her own life to love me, my fault. Marriage failed, my fault. Then on top, I added my own stuff that was worthy of feeling ashamed of.

I wore a mask that looked like I was ok but inside I was a mess. Each time I would move forward in my walk with Christ, Satan would whisper in my ear, "remember all those things that happened to you, they were all your fault." "God would never accept a person like you, give it up Sherri." Those thoughts would plague me, until I finally took some bold steps. I first went to God with my baggage and laid it at his feet. He didn't shun me. There was no big gasp from his mouth. He simply cleaned me up, washed me off, told me the truth about my past and I would never be condemned. I was redeemed by His blood. In His eyes, the past is over, gone, no looking back.

Then I found a safe place to begin to tell my story to others. James 5:16 says confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I do believe we should be able to tell any Christian our secrets, whether they are hurts from the past or sin in the present. But that can not always be. We live in a fallen world and humans are not perfect. At times, when you share with someone, they may have sin in their life in the area of judgment or gossip. It is good to use discernment on who to share with and when God would have you share. I only say this because being vulnerable is difficult and others can make it worse if they are not in the right place with God. Sadly, in the church, at times people are even more critical and judgmental than in the world. Eventually as you get stronger and God wipes away the shame, you will begin to use the healing you find to help others.

What I have found is there is great freedom that comes from sharing the truth of my past. Hidden in the dark, things look ominous, scary and to big to overcome. In the light, there power is diminished and healing can come. When we bring things out in the open, we often find that they weren't quite as scary as we thought they were. We get so filled with lies in childhood, that when we bring them out in the light as adults and examine them we can replace them with the truth. Jesus has told me and he tells you this too.... there is no more condemnation, the past is the past and has no more hold on you.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

At this point in my journey, I can say this. To those that say "Some things are better kept just between you and God", I disagree. It some point all truth must be brought to the light.

There is nothing in my life, no hurt from the past or sin I have committed that is left in the darkness. My life and my past are an open book. I have nothing left to be ashamed of, for I have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. If someone hears my past and feels uncomfortable or begins to judge, that is not mine to take on. It is there sin that they must deal with. I no longer take on the shame or sin of others, I deal only with my own. I deal with it openly and honestly so the devil has no chance to gain a foothold.

I no longer identify who I am by my past, what I do or may not do. My identity is firmly placed in who God intended me to be from the beginning of time. God and his word never change and I find my identity in Him. Therefore, I have nothing to fear nor to be ashamed of. I am proudly my Fathers child.