Read:   Psalm 103:8-12; Hebrews 11:25-27;  John 8:2-8; 1 John 1:8-9

Think:  Beautiful weekend…hard message.  Beautiful weekend…essential message.  Whether you have walked with Jesus for the better part of your life, or have just begun to explore just who he is, the message this weekend applies to us all.  

Pastor Ben provided an illustration utilizing a concept known as the Johari Window. A Johari Window is a tool created to help people better understand interpersonal communication and relationships. When it’s utilized, subjects are given a list of 56 adjectives, and they are to pick five or six that they feel describe their own personality. Peers of the subject are then given the same list, and each pick five or six adjectives that describe the subject. These adjectives are then mapped onto a grid. An Illustration of the grid is shown to the right. 

The weekend message focused primarily upon the Hidden quadrant in the lower left corner; those areas of our life which are known to us but not known to others. You know the kind of areas where we are afraid to tell others for fear that they will no longer like us, or respect us if they really knew who we were.  I will speak for myself; I certainly have them.  Some are wrapped in shame, and like the woman who was caught in adultery, (See John 8:2-8) I sometimes fear the consequences of revealing my sin (in her case it was death by stoning).  Yet in this passage we clearly see that Jesus has compassion upon her in spite of her sin.  He used the circumstances surrounding her wrong-doing to reveal who He is, and to reveal who her accusers really were (yep, sinners just like her, just like me).  That same encounter that the adulterous woman had with Jesus is available to each of us right now: He (Jesus) is faithful and just and forgives us of our sins if we are willing to confess (See 1 John1:8-9) to Him.

Time after time (I will show my age by telling you that the second I wrote this I immediately thought of Cyndi Lauper – Hey just trying to be open!!) God uses the weaker and more difficult areas of our life to grow His Kingdom. The extent that He can use them is in direct correlation to how willing we are to make them known not only to Him but to others as well.  This weekend’s video testimony was deeply moving for me because I know Bill.  His willingness to share his struggles and the victory that Christ brought to His life, make me love him (Jesus Christ and Bill) more. 

Do:  Take some time this week to really think about the lower left quadrant above. What have you kept hidden? Where are you being deceptive and not real?  Write it down – then write down the consequences of revealing it.  Take some time to read, and re-read the story of the adulterous woman.  Ask yourself this: How might God use my story if I were to truly confess and repent?  I am pretty certain based upon God’s word  and countless testimonies I have seen, that He can take you to the life He truly desires for you. 

Pray:  Heavenly Father, I desire to be genuine and real.  Unconfessed sin and deception stand in my way to leading a genuine life.  I desire to be truthful, honest and real with You.  Reveal Your truth in me today.   In Jesus’  name I pray. Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.