What is your secret?
Normally, I wouldn’t venture into the hidden cabinets of your life like this. Yet, today, I feel compelled to do so. Why? I learned the average person has 13 secrets*. This deeply concerns me, because what we keep inside can’t see the light of God’s healing. Instead, it grows, like mold – in guilt, shame, regret, remorse, and isolation.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I know a thing or two about keeping a secret. I’ve had:
- An eating disorder that I tried to (unsuccessfully) hide for a long time.
- Financial turmoil in my single years that caught me in a huge struggle.
- A bad habit I didn’t want anyone to know about.
But, this is the concerning thing about secrets – it makes Christians feel like:
A. Frauds
B. Liars
C. Disowned by God
This is concerning when to share Christ’s love, we need to first be filled with it (1 Jo. 4:19).
Secrets are like glass windows. No one can really see them, but we know they are there. They keep a wall between us – and God. The amazing thing is – he sees right through them. He sees to our heart. But, our resurrected protective glass keeps His love away. We prevent intimacy. This is the problem with secrets.
Secrets make us hear and believe: we’re the bad child, the guilty one, the unloved one, the unforgiven one, the broken one, the burdened one.
Then, we manage our own public relations campaign. We control. We lie. We manipulate. We feel horrible about it all – and the cycle continues….
What are your secrets?
They could be:
– financial blunders hidden under the guise of “No, honey, our bank account looks great!”
– a hidden sexual past that you try to pretend never happened.
– a lie that you cannot bring yourself to confess.
– a hidden relationship or deep longing for someone of old.
– stealing, hatred or simple unhappiness at work.
– self-harm, injuring someone in the past or a traumatic event.
– too much wine, prescription drug or bad habit
– ambition or maneuvers to get yourself ahead
– family secrets, past or covering for others
– a belief you want no one to know
– theft or manipulation that is ever so subtle
– an annoyance with a spouse that has been building up for years
– internal hatred towards a child
I am not here to mark you bad and send you to bed. I don’t ask you these things to chide you in Christ Jesus. I don’t even tell you to – get it over with – and release your worst foibles on Facebook. On the contrary, I just bring these things to you from a point of invitation, not condemnation.
You’re Invited: To a Party of Great Release
Where: With God, at your home, in your car, anywhere
How: Through a complete unveiling of your heart, will, and intentions
When: Anytime
What: What is the desire beneath this secret? Ask God for that desire or for a reworking of it.
Who: Your Father will heal you
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Prov. 28:13
Healer is ready to heal. Why not take down the glass wall? Let him in? There is no shame in accepting help. There is no burden to coming to God. There are new beginnings. There are new avenues that will open to you. There is forgiveness from others, and wisdom in the waiting. There is hope from God; there is always hope.
*Study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, co-authored by Michael Slepian
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Thanks, Kelly, for putting the beauty of the gospel on display here in this space.
I love this encouragement, Kelly. I also know a thing or two about secrets and spent the majority of my life hiding secrets that left me with that shame, guilt, and fear. Thank you for this honest look at something we as Christians can find freedom in!
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Kelly,
Praying your post helps us all let God in deeper, that we are honest with Him, open up our eyes to see those secret places and partner with Him to be set free! Praying you have a blessed day,
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Thank you Kelley for the invite to drop the secrets and be real with God- He knows them all anyway! And thanks for being real with us- we all have our secrets but God is faithful to provide forgiveness and freedom when we bring them to him. God bless and thanks for hosting 🙂
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Such good words, Kelly. You’re so right. When we keep things secret, God can’t heal. There’s a freeing power in confession. I’ll be praying to see what God reveals to me about what’s in my heart.
Thank you Kelly for this reminder,it is filled with truth and honesty. I know a thing or two about the weight of carrying family secrets .Until we let go and let GOD it remains an unconfessed sin and burden.
May I find mercy in the sight of the Lord. thank you for the verse as well
Diana – http://dianasdiaries.com
Such a great post, Kelly. I love what you said about how we attempt to manage our public relations campaign–so true. Glad I visited for the first time today 🙂
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Kelly,
Are you doing like a challenge with the secrets? I was just wondering. I would be willing to do something like, or a Bible Study. I’m learning how to do my own Bible Studies, or how to conduct my own online. If you know any online resources that could help that would be great!
Kelley, you inspire me to dig deep, and face it head on. secrets manage to put mask after mask over it to stay hidden, some of those layers are equal to the years in ones life. I will not be distracted by the fear of uncovering the secret and exposing it . Your book has encouraged me to lean in to God for the freedom
Thank you and love blessings abundant
Kelly- thanks for this encouragement. Secrets keep us from being the authentic people God wants us to be.
Such a powerful post, Kelly! I have truly missed being blessed by your words! Thank you! GOD bless you, Love! *HUGS* 🙂
I always thought it was just me that my secrets made me feel like a fraud and disowned or unusable to God. Secrets usually burn away at us and do no good! This post is so great! Thanks!
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