Living A Life Of Transparency

Are you open & honest about your weaknesses? Or do you tend to hide them in fear of being judged by others?

Friends, I believe when we are transparent it allows others to see that we ALL face the same challenges, they just might be in different circumstances is all. By exposing our weaknesses, we eliminate the devils ability to create fear & insecurities in our lives.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Each one of us is on a journey and we are all learning valuable lessons along the way. No one has it all figured out. Whether you are 18, 48, or 88 we are all learning, allow God to use your weaknesses to help others. I had a dear friend remind me that by sharing my own struggles and weaknesses it gives her hope & encouragement; because she knows if I can overcome difficult times in my life than she can too.

One of my weaknesses is that I've always struggled to pray out loud and what I realized is that I was fumbling over my words because I was more worried about what others were thinking of my prayers rather than just focusing on talking to God. I pray multiple times throughout the day, but I've always said them silently.

So I decided to share this with a couple of friends and can I tell you that their support was extremely helpful. One offered to be my sounding board while I practiced & did so without judgment, that was HUGE for me. Another friend told me to pray out loud every time I'm driving somewhere because the more you do so, the more comfortable you become. Wow was she right...

This morning I prayed out loud among a group of friends & I found myself in tears trying to pray; it was a very moving experience for me because I realized all this time I have been giving the devil control over me and by overcoming this fear I felt liberated and free!

Friends what weaknesses are you struggling with? I hope you'll feel comfortable sharing with me.

Can I encourage you to stand up to the devil & not allow him to control you with fear & insecurities? Be true to who you are, because by living authentically you will encourage others to do the same!

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime