Theme:   Love Sex and Marriage - Conflict

This eDevotional was written by a volunteer from Timberlake Church.

It’s OK to Not Always Be OK

READ: 2 Corinthians 7:2-7

THINK:  Have you met Mr. and Mrs. Everything’s Just Great? They’re facebook is full of how awesome the latest trip was and their status updates always end with “Life is GOOD”. They talk about each other in glowing terms and share about the amazing joys of parenthood. They have a Bible verse for every situation.

But my guess is that their friends say things like, “When I’m around them, I can’t just say how I really feel. When I do, they just tell me some platitude and to ‘trust God.’ Or I just 'need to believe!'” The friends all agree that they like them but feel pretty uncomfortable around them.

Why is it that some of us we have this pressure to be Mr. or Mrs. Perfect? We act as if everything is good all the time. Is it that we’re afraid that somehow if we are going to be good witnesses for Christ we have to look as if life is perfect? One look at Scripture helps us see that isn’t so!

Take the apostle Paul. Instead of pretending that everything was always okay, he was transparent about his own struggles. Just read some the New Testament accounts -  you just might find yourself feeling thankful! His honesty and openness made people feel safe to open up to him... and to really listen to what he had to say about faith, life, and following Jesus!  Listen to his honesty: “Our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears” (2 Cor. 7:5).

Sharing those hard experiences and raw emotions enabled Paul to give this sincere testimony: “Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us…” (v.6).

How can authenticity and transparency make us more effective in our sharing our faith with other people? If others can see how Christ meets our needs when we’re struggling, and how our faith can impact our circumstances it is then that they will be more apt to trust Him themselves. And is there any greater ministry than this?

At Timberlake we often get to see video of people in our church that share how God has worked in their lives. Last weekend Carol’s story was a great example of this whole concept. Life can be hard… but in the middle of some really difficult circumstance she found God’s mercy, faithfulness, and purpose. I can hear the truth of that, not because of eloquent words and a pasted on smile, but because of her authenticity and showing ALL that God has done!

DO: Whatever you’re struggling with today in a relationship, your marriage, or just in life – see it through this perspective. Could God be using your authentic, transparent self to be drawing someone to Him?  Watch for how God will use your honestly over the days ahead in this way.

PRAY: God thank you that I don’t have to put on any airs, or be the perfect anything… Because it’s only YOU who is perfect. Thank you that you help me in my shortcomings, my struggles and even in my failure. I want to be an open book but always pointing to your work in me and your goodness in the middle of the hard stuff that life brings. Thank you that I can be 100% honest with you – help me to be as real with others. In Jesus Name, Amen.