transparent community

I believe that being transparent is super powerful. And it's also super rare.

Whether you've noticed yourself doing it or not, we sweep so much of who we really are under the rug and put our best foot forward even with the people closest to us.

The truth is that we are all a mess. Everyone is struggling with something. We all have hurts and heartaches and wounds from being human. Yes, Jesus walks with us and holds us together but none of us are perfect. Not even close.

But most of the time we don't share with even our closest friends how they can really be praying for us. We don't share the real hurts or struggles. Instead when someone asks we parrot off something about being overwhelmed with our schedules or nervous about a test and while those are valid things, they are not the things that the enemy is using to wage war on our hearts.

When was the last time you allowed someone into the dark places of your heart? When was the last time you told someone you struggle with jealousy, doubting God, something someone said or did to you, an eating disorder, self-image, loneliness, depression, the list goes on and on.

It can be hard and embarrassing and scary to be vulnerable and reveal to someone the ugly mess that we sweep under the rug. But something happens when we lift up the rug and the light hits the dark places. In the light, the darkness looses it's powerful grip over us. The Son brings freedom. Chains are broken.

And it gives people the courage to stop sweeping their hurt under the rug too. We can go to the hard places with each other. And that is what true community really is.

See, we are made for community. literally. We are made in the image of God. And God himself is a community: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three in one. (Genesis 1)

And so community is so much more than we think it is. It isn't just a close group of friends who have a great time together.

Community is doing life together. Real life.

It's walking through the valleys together and hiking to the mountain tops together.

It's falling on our knees together and blessing the name of the Lord when He gives and when He takes away.

But in order to live in community we have to be transparent. 

So what do you need to be transparent about and who do you need to be transparent with?

Let's not allow dark places in our community. 

Let the light flood in and overwhelm us with sweet grace.