Honestly!
Sunday’s Monday
With the man-made Christmas drama behind us in a year filled to the brim with uncertainty, we can now focus on the new year of 2021. Which has every tendency to be more of the same as we will do our best to carry just as much of 2020 into it as we can. It seems these days, the majority thrives on drama to drive their daily reason for existing. Truth is, at one point in my life this this was my lifestyle as well. I was so insecure in “who I am” that I couldn’t be remotely honest on any level, with anyone including me. Contrary to what the bible says about my yes and no in Matthew 5:37 (NLT), Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. My yes was at best maybe and my no most always meant doubtful. My answers were negotiable in translation to suit my desire in that moment in time.
I honestly had a terrible time with honesty! I became a remarkable chameleon to the truth as I managed to camouflage it to best fit my comfort zone at any given time. Saying what someone wants to hear had become second nature to my selfish ways. I thrived on the drama living a life that was one big game of unhappy moments. Yet, no matter how bad things got, my fear of the truth was greater than my misery. I hate confrontation! Especially when it’s going on deep inside of me. Ergo, I avoided being alone at all cost! My theory was, it is easier to twist the truth to fit my situation than it would be to change me to fit the truth. I was honestly so afraid of the me that Jesus created me to be that I would do anything to hide from myself. Me, myself, and I became worst enemies, destroying any goodness and love within me. I hated me!
This may be a little farfetched for some, but God’s Holy Spirit gave me the revelation of Matthew 5:44 (NLT), But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you to which mine was me at that time. Honestly, I received this scripture as both a warning as well as a door. I honestly started (for the first time) to see myself as my enemy and Jesus as my only way out. OK, my motives might have been a little off in the beginning, but Jesus worked that out. I soon became amazed at how my life was changing for the better. Honestly: After a lot of prayer, I started to forgive myself for whom I had become and started to love who God was changing me into. Honestly, prayer works! I found myself desiring that which is written in Matthew 5:48 (NLT), But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
In my striving to be perfect like God, I learned the futility of such. I’m not to be perfect like God, I am to be perfect in Jesus. As a human, I’ll never be physically perfect however my perfection continues to grow spiritually. You see God created me, Jesus saved me, and The Holy Spirit is teaching me to be spiritually perfected. One day The Holy Spirit shared a bit of wisdom with me through a friend which simply states, “slow down and enjoy the journey.” As disappointing as the journey through 2020 has been for most, we will very soon be traveling through 2021 and should we desire this new journey to be more desirable than 2020, we honestly need to rethink how honest we are with Jesus, self, and others. I know you’ve heard the TRUTH will set you free (John 8:31-32) and the first freedom I experienced was that of negativity. There honestly is a bright side to everything (that I’ve experienced), “if” we look for it.
My prayer for this week is for every one of us to accept and follow Jesus into and through the year 2021. May we not travel it alone and may we find the honesty required to discover who we are in the eyes of Jesus. I pray that we learn how to love from a deeper level, learn how to honestly care from the heart of Jesus and may our honesty arouse everyone around us as is written in Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT), 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. May we find strength, peace, and pleasure within Deuteronomy 31:8, Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Thank you, God, for being the ultimate LOVING FATHER I need. Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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