i have failed at life.
i have failed at work.
i have failed at school.
i have failed. miserably.
BUT...
"the cross exposes me before the eyes of other people, informing them of the depth of my depravity. if i wanted others to think highly of me, i would conceal the fact that a shameful slaughter of the perfect Son of God was required that i might be saved. But when i stand at the foot of the cross and am seen by others under the light of that cross, i am left uncomfortably exposed before their eyes. indeed, the most humiliating gossip that could ever be whispered about me is blared from Golgotha's hill... and my self-righteous reputation is left in ruins in the wake of its revelations. with the worst fact about me thus exposed to the view of others, i find myself feeling that i truly have nothing to hide.
"thankfully the more exposed i see that i am by the cross, the more i find myself opening up to others about ongoing issues of sin in my life... and the more open i am about confessing my sins to fellow-christians, the more i enjoy the healing of the Lord in response to their grace-filled counsel and prayers. experiencing richer levels of christs love in companionship with such saints, i give thanks for the gospel's role in forcing my hand toward self-disclosure and the freedom that follows." - milton vincent
...and yes it's difficult. But the reward of being open is huge...i still don't really know what all this means, but i'm glad we're taking this "journey" together.
ReplyDelete...thanks Nina. thanks for being real, and for being my best friend.