We all have a story. Your story probably includes your family, how many brothers and sisters you have, if you're the only child, where you grew up, if you have ever moved, the school or schools you attended, the friends you've made, the successes you have had, the laughs, and all the good parts that make up you! Am I right or am I right? But your story includes so much more than just the good parts. Can a person be this happy and have everything in their life perfect? Now, I'm by far the smartest person on this planet but I am pretty confident that no one has it that good. So, what are we hiding from? Why is it that when we tell our stories or introduce ourselves, we skip all the realness that is us? Take a minute to ask yourself that question.
Why do you feel the need to only share the good parts of your life?
If you are anything like me, it’s because you are ashamed of the troubles you have faced. You don’t like to talk about it out of fear of what others may think of you. You compare yourselves to others. Let’s face it. We all compare our stories with one another, and we end up feeling weak, fragile and even broken. You try to run from and forget the trials in your life. In fact, they make you feel alone, worthless, and incapable of anything. Maybe you feel that sharing the not so good parts of your story may be a burden to others. So why bother sharing those parts of your life?
“We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us…as you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to live worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”
1 Thessalonians 2:8;11-12
We share because we care. It sounds cheesy like something you would find on a poster in a Pre-K classroom, but it definitely applies to our lives. As women of God, we need to care for one another. Like really care for one another. This doesn't mean we say, "We care for you" but that our care drives us to action. Like 1 Thessalonians 2:8, our care for others should drive us to share two things: The Gospel and our lives.
Eve, We Relate on a Personal Level
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
Genesis 3:8
Think back to the beginning of creation when God created Adam and Eve. God gave them everything they needed. He cared for them and allowed them to do so much. The only thing God commanded was to not eat from a certain tree within the garden. Eve, however, gave in to the temptation and both her and Adam fell into darkness and became separated from God bringing darkness on all of creation. Scary. Could you imagine being in Eve’s position? I think I can relate to how she may feel. She was embarrassed and upset because she knew she made a mistake. When she heard God walking in the garden she hid (Genesis 3:10) because she knew she had done wrong, and her mistake was being exposed. We too often like to hide from our mistakes and our past because we don’t want those things to be exposed. When asked we try to cover up like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7).
How often do you try to hide your sin from others and God?
God sees right through us when we try to hide. He knows every thought and every action we make before we even make it (Hebrews 4:13). In Psalm 69:5, David says, “you know how foolish I have been.” God knows how foolish you are and still cares for you regardless of the mistakes. God just longs for a relationship with you. He longs for you to let him into your life.
“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:7-8
To let God into our lives we must rid ourselves of all darkness. To do this we have to resist the devil and submit to God’s word. We have to bring our sins before him and leave them at the cross. We then have to repent from those sins meaning to turn and walk away from. We need to draw near to God and to do that we need to draw near to Jesus and follow him. Not only are we to confess our sins to God but we are to bring them to others as well. Yikes! Hold up! You mean I can’t just keep the bad parts between me and God, but I am also supposed to share them with others? In James 5:15- 16 it reads,
“The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”
So, yes, we are to share our sins so that we can pray for each other to be healed. To pray for someone shows care for that person, their life and their relationship with God. Praying is a powerful tool that we get to use to communicate and draw near to God, but we also get to use this tool to help others that we care about.
Care Like God
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2
Let’s look back at Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, but instead of looking at Adam and Eve let’s look at God in the story. God was walking in the garden, and he called out to them, “Where are you?” (vs.9). Remember Hebrews 4 tells us that God knows everything we are going to do before we do it. So, God knew that Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree, but he called out to them knowing they were hiding. We should be women like this. When we see or know our fellow sister are struggling, we should reach out to them. We should ask "Where are you" in your walk with God? "Why are you covering yourself?" God reached out and allowed Adam and Eve to tell Him where they were and what had happened. God didn't sit back and let them continue down the path. Instead, God went to them, listened to them and corrected them (vs13-19).
How often do you ask other women how they are doing out of deep care and concern for them?
God shares himself with us. In fact, we were created in his image (Genesis 1:26). Adam and Eve had great trust and relationship with God and even though they hid at first, they were open with God when he asked how they were doing. For women to be open with us we must first be open with them and share our lies with them. This isn't about getting the inside scoop on each other's lives but it's about caring for each other so much that you pray for one other, share scriptures and turn each other back to God during the hard times.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17
Ladies, we need one another. So, I encourage you to be open with God, to be open with others and pray for one another. Don't worry about the bad parts but share them freely because, in God's eyes, our bad parts are considered the good parts. The real you and me.
Song: “The Good Parts” by Andy Grammer
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