“Once exposed, a secret loses all its power.”
― Ann Aguirre, Grimspace

My spiritual father once told me, and quote, “Walter you are a closed book.” I think he was venting his frustration, and difficulty of trying to get me to share my secrets. His remark really didn’t matter much to me, because there was nothing personal I would ever share with him. My philosophy at the time was, “there are some secrets you want to keep in and others you dare not let out. Well, that was when I was younger and didn’t know better.

If anyone desires to live a life of freedom, victory and triumph over dark, sinful, secret habits – that person must want, above all else, a life of transparency. Their life has to be an open book – a letter or epistle for everyone to read.

The more transparent, real and honest and accountable you are about dark, sinful, bad habits, the better you are able to fight and defeat them.  The one who hides his sins has already lost the battle. Jesus said it best:

people loved the darkness and not the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed (John 3:19-21 ESV)

There are many reasons why we hide our dark, sinful, secret habits:

• we know it is bad
• we know it is displeasing to God
• we feel like people will judge them
• we have a sense of guilt and fear
• we don’t want to be exposed to shame

But what we fail to realize is that the very thing we think will keep us safe is the very thing that ends up imprisoning us, rendering it difficult to break free. The scripture says in Proverbs 28:13,

whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper

The only way we can prosper in our lives is by living a life of transparency, accountability and honesty. Those who understand this are not worried about how people will see them but are most worried about how God sees them. We may be able to fool ourselves and others but we can never fool God.

It is time to lay our lives bare, not only before God but also before the world – only then can the victory be won. The time has come for us to become people who others can confide in and not be judged or gossiped about. The time has come for us to make it safe for others to give their secrets away. Because there we find the ability to face, fight and win over dark, sinful, secret habits.

A secret loses all its power when exposed… that’s when we truly start living in the Light of Jesus

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What do you think is the best solution to the problem of hidden sins?