Transparency

I have been reading the book of Psalms and it seems like the men who wrote the Psalms were very transparent and they told it the way it was.  They talked about their struggles and fears and their doubts and the situations they were in.  They seemed to bare their hearts to God and the rest of the world, to all who would read God’s Word throughout the generations from their time and to all the generations that would come after.  

They also thanked and praised God very enthusiastically at times.  Then there were times when they seemed so discouraged and fearful and down and then at other times, they seemed very up and cheerful and excited.  It seemed like their emotions were all over the place, like what happens to real Christian people at different times in their lives.  It seems like many people that would call themselves Christians today, seem to hide their true feelings, maybe because they don’t want to hear about their lack of faith, or they must have sin in their lives or some other negative statement which may be true or not true.  

I know in my walk with the Lord, I have had some real struggles and other times I have been overly excited.  Think about Elijah when he was up on the mountain with the Prophets of Baal.  When the fire of God fell and consumed his sacrifice and licked up all the water, how excited he must have been, but not long after that experience he was on the run because King Ahab’s wife Jezebel threatened his life.  It seems like the enemy of our souls likes to attack just before a breakthrough or at times not long after a victory.  At one time Jesus said this, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”  So we can expect trials and even tests and unexpected problems and situations and circumstances to take place in our lives, even if we haven’t sinned.

Just think about Job’s situation he was tested, and it had nothing to do with sin.  In fact, his three friends accused him of sin but that wasn’t the case at all.  Now think about what Paul said at one time in the Word of God, “If you live a godly life you will be persecuted.”  So, if you are living a godly life and you haven’t been persecuted yet, you can look forward to being persecuted at some point in your walk with the Lord!!  If you know anything about the Apostle Paul, he seemed to be persecuted continually in his walk with the Lord and it even seems to me that he looked forward to it.

Please read Philippians 3:8-12, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

Paul loved the Lord and was willing to suffer for Him and he did, to the point of being martyred for the cause of Christ.  Paul was a very transparent person and if you are not, you may want to try it.  And for the person that is always judging other people’s motives or actions, you may want to use mercy, grace and love as your motivator.  I hope this has been a help and an encouragement and may the good Lord bless you all with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness.  If you haven’t yet don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for, He is worthy.