"we have spoken freely to you...our heart is wide open." St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:11
When we meet someone new, we usually don't open up and pour out everything that we think. We tend to watch how we act around that new person, waiting to see if they are "safe" for us to truly be ourselves around. As we get to know them better, and as we discover their level of trustworthiness, we tend to open up a little bit more. We inevitably come to a point where we discover that we can trust them with certain things, and feel free to express those things to them.
And yet, at the same time, we all tend to guard our hearts. Right now, there are probably things inside you (ways you think, certain actions that you have done in the past) that you have not shared with anyone in your life. There is probably a part of you that would really like to find someone to share those with, but you just aren't sure who is out there that you can be that open and honest with, who won't turn on you and be judgmental and condemning toward you because of those things.
We all have our hearts "on guard" to one degree or another. We have varying levels of openness with different people in our life. Some, we feel more open toward, and others, we have a hard time opening up at all. We live "on guard". And we start to see how people tend to live up to or down to the level of trust that we have placed in them.
I simply cannot imagine a world where we have no fear of being open with each other, where we don't have to be "on guard" at all. And yet, that is the promise of the new life that Jesus promises that we will receive when we leave this life, which is tainted by the sinful nature, and come into our inheritance that He has promised through our faith in Him. An existence where we have no need of being "on guard" with each other. An existence where we find hope and encouragement, even for those things that are our deepest and darkest secrets.
That is what Jesus promises for all who believe that He lived, died, and rose for them. It's hard to imagine or think of, but it sure is something to hope for.
When we meet someone new, we usually don't open up and pour out everything that we think. We tend to watch how we act around that new person, waiting to see if they are "safe" for us to truly be ourselves around. As we get to know them better, and as we discover their level of trustworthiness, we tend to open up a little bit more. We inevitably come to a point where we discover that we can trust them with certain things, and feel free to express those things to them.
And yet, at the same time, we all tend to guard our hearts. Right now, there are probably things inside you (ways you think, certain actions that you have done in the past) that you have not shared with anyone in your life. There is probably a part of you that would really like to find someone to share those with, but you just aren't sure who is out there that you can be that open and honest with, who won't turn on you and be judgmental and condemning toward you because of those things.
We all have our hearts "on guard" to one degree or another. We have varying levels of openness with different people in our life. Some, we feel more open toward, and others, we have a hard time opening up at all. We live "on guard". And we start to see how people tend to live up to or down to the level of trust that we have placed in them.
I simply cannot imagine a world where we have no fear of being open with each other, where we don't have to be "on guard" at all. And yet, that is the promise of the new life that Jesus promises that we will receive when we leave this life, which is tainted by the sinful nature, and come into our inheritance that He has promised through our faith in Him. An existence where we have no need of being "on guard" with each other. An existence where we find hope and encouragement, even for those things that are our deepest and darkest secrets.
That is what Jesus promises for all who believe that He lived, died, and rose for them. It's hard to imagine or think of, but it sure is something to hope for.
No comments:
Post a Comment