Hidden From Sight

Imagine retrieving your mail at the local post office and walking out to the parking lot to find the townsfolk swarming around your vehicle. That happened to the guy who parked near us.  People gathered around his car taking photos.  Excited neighbors asked him questions about his 1956 restored classic shiny red and white Chevy Bel Air convertible. 

I picked up our mail and got into our truck and noticed my husband missing.  Where did he go?  He joined the Bel Air crowd taking photos with his cell phone.

Next thing I know, he slides into our front seat and flashes a photo under my nose of the guy’s hot model.  “The neat thing about this car is the gas cap hidden under the driver’s side rear tail light,” the husband informs.

I learned that not only is this beauty appealing to the eyes, but her not-so-pretty part was hidden from view.  She looked good from every angle.

With two close girlfriends in tow, I drove halfway across the state to attend a Christian women’s luncheon several years ago.  A fancy chandelier hung in the restaurant dining room sparkling above a roomful of lively women.  Pastel tablecloths draped round tables set with elegant tableware and bouquets of fragrant fresh flower centerpieces.  The speaker’s Biblical points intertwined with humor and laughter filled the room as she stood at the podium in a pretty pink spring dress with shiny ecru shoes.    Many followed her invitation to come up front for prayer and hugs as she closed her message.

There was only one thing wrong with this speaker.  Oh, she looked good on the outside, but secrets lurched within that she refused to admit so she hid them.  You would never know it looking at her but God knew.  I know too because this woman was me.

The successful event dazzled the crowd but I left feeling like I weighed 300 lbs.  I knew better than to ever step foot in a ministry position with a heart that’s not pure.

I didn’t enjoy dinner with my girlfriends that evening.  Nor did I look forward to a “pajama party” at our hotel later.

Confession is the only way to be free from sin; God promises to forgive us every time.  After I talked to the Lord about my behavior, I asked my girlfriends to pray for me.

They did not judge me.  “Don’t think you’re a fraud or a phony,” they said.

They knew I felt that way.  They reminded me that God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable, Romans 11:29.  In other words, God’s Word proves spotless, powerful and able to save even in a flawed vessel.

I learned never to pretend.  We Christians need to call each other to a higher standard.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but integrity plays a huge part of our faith journey.  Whether we’re preaching, parenting our child, working for a paycheck, leading a Bible Study, or writing a blog post, let’s do it with a pure heart.  We serve a holy God!

You spread out our sins before you

Our secret sins

And you see them all.

Psalm 90:8