Honestly

To be honest is to be truthful. Some people think telling a “little white lie” is okay. I’m sorry, but a lie is a lie. God is Truth. He does not lie. Not even to make you feel better about yourself, which is why most people tell those “little white lies” - so that the other person won’t feel bad about themself. But, as I told my girls as they were growing up, I would much rather you tell me the truth and face the consequences than you lie to me. I’m most likely going to find out anyway so it’s better to be honest up front. We can then work together for a better outcome.

Where there is a lack of honesty, there is almost always a lack of trust. If you lied to me once, are you lying now? How do I know when you are telling the truth? How can I trust you?

I said all that to lay the groundwork for this: you can be honest with God. You can tell Him anything and it will not alter His love for you. It will not cloud His thinking about you. It will not make Him think less of you. Realize this…He already knows! When you are honest with Him about something you did or something you felt is not the first He heard about it.

The first time I realized that I could be honest with God was back in my college days. I was the first one in my family to get born again and I was praying for them. I had come home for the weekend and it had been a frustrating time. People with clashing values don’t always get along. All my efforts to help one person in particular “see the light” were NOT working. I was frustrated because I love my family and wanted all of them to get saved. Some were open, but this one was NOT budging. 

I remember the exact spot I was at on the drive back to college when, through tears, I finally said to God: “That’s it! I give up! This is not working! I am so frustrated!” It almost felt audible when I immediately heard back, “It’s about time!” I was shocked! God wasn’t mad that I was angry with Him and yelling at him. I had been completely honest with Him and He had not kicked me out of His Kingdom. He had not struck me down with lightning. He just expressed to me that I was not to bear that burden, that my efforts were actually hindering Him from working. Turns out I felt like I had to get that person saved. I didn’t realize that was what I was doing, but I was. That can’t happen. I can’t get anyone saved. I can only share God’s love and what He has done in my life. Results are up to that person’s choices and God’s timing. I am just planting seeds as well as watering seeds that others have planted.

That was a valuable lesson for me. So much of my spiritual journey has been involved with the healing of emotions. When I am honest with God about what I am feeling is when He can come in and show me His way, His truth. One way that happens is through journaling. Writing down how I am feeling often helps me see things more objectively. It’s like it’s out there on the paper and not all bottled up inside me any more. I can look at it in light of God’s Word and decide what is true and what is not. He often speaks to me through Bible verses that come up in my spirit during that journaling time. It can also happen when I am just sitting there quietly, like first thing in the morning or sitting on my wonderfully peaceful front porch. I’m praying and talking to God and somehow it is just easier to be honest with Him and tell Him where I’m struggling or where I need wisdom.

The main point is, if you want any level of intimacy with God, you have to learn to be honest with Him. We don’t have to come to Him like a good little Christian. We come to Him as we are and He brings us closer into who He is. So my prayer for you is that you will be honest with others, honest with yourself, and even more so honest with God. He loves you so much and knows you even better than you do! He knows what you need and He wants to meet you where you are. Galatians 1:5 says that God chose you and set you apart even before you were born and called you by His grace. He has an awesome plan for your life, no matter your age, no matter what you have or haven’t done. No matter what you think He thinks.

Be honest and be free.