Transparency

I have had a few people talk to me about my blog recently or they have approached me personally and said "Wow, you are so honest and up-front about what you are going through in your life." Some have questioned why I put personal information on my blog about my struggle with depression, etc. The answer to all the critiques and questions is TRANSPARENCY. I believe in being transparent in my life with others. What does this mean?

One pastor defined transparency as "removing the mask and revealing who you really are; it is getting beyond the surface to what is really going on in your heart." Transparency to me is about honesty and sincerity; it's about sharing your life with people you care about, and sharing your heart with others. It's about laying down my faults and weaknesses before my brother or sister in Christ so they can keep me accountable in my faith walk. It's about making myself humble and vulnerable to another by sharing my struggles and burdens. Some people may think a blog like I have where I talk about my problems and obstacles is too personal and is airing "dirty laundry" unnecessarily. However, there are two reasons I blog about such things. (1) Blogging is therapeutic. Blogging is a way for me to get my thoughts and feelings out in a written format so I can think through things. Some people might ask, "Well, why don't you just write in a personal journal, instead of writing on a public blog?" That's where reason #2 comes into play. (2) Blogging is a way for me to witness to others about how God is working in my life. If I blog about something personal problem in my life, it shows others that being a Christian does not make life easy or perfect. Being a Christian, does not mean your life becomes problem-free. At times, walking with the Lord provides its own difficulties and challenges because Satan will attack stronger, and you will be trying to live in a world that is not your "home." Living in this world is not our home; we as Christian are living for a world of eternity after this world passes away.

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

Possibly, someone who is reading my blog might be going through a very similar experience and I can help encourage them through their struggle by blogging about how the Lord helped me through mine. Just in the last 6 months, I remember encouraging a few brothers and sisters in Christ through past blog posts I had where they talked about very similar life situations. I want to be a witness to the Lord, and I want my life to point others toward Jesus Christ, even when I am going through some of my hardest times. Also, I like being able to look back on my own blog years down the road and see where the Lord has taken me and guided me. It is truly remarkable to see how the Lord has being there for me every step of the way and is continually perfecting me and drawing me closer to Him. I hope that if you have been reading my blog regularly or if this is your first time, I hope that you get some glimpse of the Lord through it all, and realize that I am only here on this earth and able to blog about such things through God's grace and unconditional love.