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Transparency
Posted By Jennifer
If you use a transparency on an overhead projector, you take a clear plastic page and use a marker to write on it. The purpose of the page is not to be seen, but to be used to project that which you want to be seen on the screen.
If we are truly transparent with one another, and with God, then He will use our background—our past experience (both sinful and spiritual)—to write upon us that which He wants the world to see.
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
1 Corinthians 15:9-11
We have a tendency to try to cover up anything in our lives that doesn’t paint the picture of the perfect Christian life. In the above passage, Paul gives us an example of the freedom that comes by sharing honestly with other believers. By me stating that I am not perfect, I free myself from that “works” mentality of having earned my gift of salvation though my own goodness. I also free myself from Christian pride—comparing myself favorably to all those who have sinned “more” than I have. And I think that I offer a measure of God’s grace and mercy to those listening, “If God has used me, someone with a much less than perfect track record, He can use you too.” By being real about my past sins and also my current struggles, I put all the glory where it rightfully belongs. It is the transforming power of God in my life that has made me who I am, not any human effort on my part. My past sins have been forgiven and wiped out by God, so they should have no bearing on how I should identify myself with Christ today. If by sharing my past failures and missteps with others, I can show how He has truly freed me from my sin, and conformed me more to His image, then I should by all means confess.
When I hear someone else being honest about their past mistakes, or what I find to be even more difficult, present struggles, I find myself seeing God even more in their lives, instead of judging them (which I might be tempted to do if I was observing their behavior, but they were not talking about it). And that’s exactly the point—we are not who we once were, we are new creations in Christ.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Aug 29th, 2007
I needed this today. Thanks for the reminder.
What a great example. How did the Lord give you the transparent projector idea? VEry good! Thank you. I do agree. I have a harder time going to those women who are ‘perfect’ when I have a struggle. I’d much rather talk to someone I know who has victory in an area. That’s why sharing testimonies are so good. Paul shared his story and King Agrippa said he felt persuaded to be saved from that. ((hugs))
Great post, and I love the transparency analogy! I think transparency is missing in many churches and relationships, and I admit that it can be very difficult. But the results of making that effort can definitely be worth it.
Isn’t is crazy as Christians we really want others to think that we are “perfect”. We don’t want to be transparent. At least for me because sin leads to judgment from others.
(((Amanda))) I know what you mean sweetie. But why should it matter to us what they think? If anything it’s those women we need to pray for.
So true! Good stuff. Our righteous acts are as filthy rags to God. So often, the good things we do feed our pride and puff us up. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You’re right, when we confess our faults, we acknowledge our need of Him and allow His strength to work through and then He gets the glory, not us! Help us, Lord!
You could not have made it any clearer than the transparency analogy. It is not by works nor appearance of them that we are saved. We too often become caught up in how others perceive us. We will never do “good enough”. It is through the one great work of Jesus, our sacrificial lamb, that we find salvation.
Jennifer this was a very good post. I never would have thought a the transparancy analogy. Where do we get the idea that we need to cover up what doesn’t present a perfect Christian life? Being more transparant is definitely something I need to work on more.