The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the word transparent as "having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clarly; fine or shear enough to be seen through; free from pretense or deceit; readily understood; characterized by visibility and accessibility of information..." As I read that I thought to myself, "No hidden agendas, no secrets."
I can only wonder what life would be like if all people lived transparently, openly and honestly without hidden agendas. How might our communication change and all of our relationships enriched? I have to believe that our frustration and stress levels would be significantly reduced, which would improve our physical well being, because the need to read between the lines, or read the tea leaves as I like to call it, would be removed. Just the thought of that feels very liberating to me. Why is it that people feel such a need to expend so much energy pedaling like hell on the inside in order to keep the mask up on the outside?
I believe it is out of the fear of being known. The irony is that at the core of every being is the desire to know and to be known. The caveat is that people want to be known without shame. They want to be loved and accepted in spite of their warts and their flaws. But because they fear exposure of being less than perfect, somewhere along the way they determine that the risk is just too great and they consciously choose to put on a mask. So many people find it easier to burn precious life energy wearing a mask than to find the courage within to boldly face that giant of fear and slay it!
I am one of the most transparent people I know, and I can attest to the fact that it requires courage. And while I meet people are attracted to it, I often find that they will take advantage of it. The challenge is to learn to live transparently without leaving myself vulnerable to being deeply wounded by those who are less than honest, to put it nicely.
To those courageous sojourners who are on this path with me I say, "Bravo!" I would love to hear from you because we are a rare breed and we need to encourage one another. The temptation to put up not only a mask, but iron clad walls, is huge at times. Yet I know that in so doing I would be living dishonestly with myself or with others, and I would not be following Christ's example. I truly believe that the greater choice is to continue to live transparently knowing that I may be hurt, and trusting Christ to be my shield and my guide. I hope you will do the same.
References
Transparent. (n.d.) In Miriam-Webster's online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transparent.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Our Relationship with God Matters
I can hardly believe that I completed my BA in Communications almost six months ago, and it has been equally as long since posted anything on my blog. After watching the movie Julie and Julia today, I was inspired to get online and jot down a few lines.
The challenge for me is deciding what exactly I want to blog about. About what am I the most impassioned? Well, as strange as it may sound to some of you, I am the most passionate about God and how our relationship with Him is a direct reflection of our relationship with the people in our lives.
While some religions teach that God is very impersonal, my experience says otherwise. And when one truly studies the scriptures, God was anything but impersonal throughout the entire Bible, from cover-to-cover. In church yesterday, the preacher said, "Following Jesus will mess with your life." And when something messes with your life...well...that's pretty personal. And the truth is, it should mess with your life. It should change your behaviors and how you treat other people.
Up until recently, I was entangled in a relationship with a guy who professes to be a Christian, yet he treated me almost as if I had leprosy the majority of the time. It was a constant cycle of come here, go away. In so many words, he would tell me to go away, and then he would resurface almost as if to say, "Oh, I know I said to go away, but don't forget about me." Well, he treats his relationship with God the same way. He shows up at church periodically just to make sure God doesn't forget about him, as if that were possible anyway, and then he goes about living the rest of his life the same way he has always lived. One can only conlcude then that the man is not truly following Jesus, because it is not messing with his life. If he were, he would never have played the games with me that he did.
It is very discouraging to say the least, because this man is definitely not a good example of what it means to be a Christian, which is a turn off to the world.
The challenge for me is deciding what exactly I want to blog about. About what am I the most impassioned? Well, as strange as it may sound to some of you, I am the most passionate about God and how our relationship with Him is a direct reflection of our relationship with the people in our lives.
While some religions teach that God is very impersonal, my experience says otherwise. And when one truly studies the scriptures, God was anything but impersonal throughout the entire Bible, from cover-to-cover. In church yesterday, the preacher said, "Following Jesus will mess with your life." And when something messes with your life...well...that's pretty personal. And the truth is, it should mess with your life. It should change your behaviors and how you treat other people.
Up until recently, I was entangled in a relationship with a guy who professes to be a Christian, yet he treated me almost as if I had leprosy the majority of the time. It was a constant cycle of come here, go away. In so many words, he would tell me to go away, and then he would resurface almost as if to say, "Oh, I know I said to go away, but don't forget about me." Well, he treats his relationship with God the same way. He shows up at church periodically just to make sure God doesn't forget about him, as if that were possible anyway, and then he goes about living the rest of his life the same way he has always lived. One can only conlcude then that the man is not truly following Jesus, because it is not messing with his life. If he were, he would never have played the games with me that he did.
It is very discouraging to say the least, because this man is definitely not a good example of what it means to be a Christian, which is a turn off to the world.
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