As always, you know I am as authentic as possible and through that, I hope the testimony of my life gives you the assurance that you are not alone in your journey through life. We may not encounter or struggle with the same issues, but each of us has circumstances, concerns and problems that we face.
There is a song, “Secret,” sung by country-gospel artist, Carol Hogner of Gordon, Texas, that I often think of when it comes to the “stuff” that we are walking through. The lyrics go like this: “Everybody looks at her as if she’s just the perfect girl cause that’s the only side that she can show. Mom and Dad could not be prouder all that they had dreamed about her of who they see in her but don’t they know? ...everybody’s got a secret, struggling with how to keep it, something we don’t ever talk about... So just remember when you’re throwing stones at someone else God knows that, you’ve got something, too, that might come out. Everybody’s got a secret.”
I think one of the biggest struggles we may all have in common is that of shame. Shame takes on my forms but, just the same, it holds us in a jail of self-deprecation. We have skeletons in the closet of shame that can’t be brought out because it may bring light to our shameful activity or the shameful activity of others. In light of this, you also know that I am put on this earth to bring encouragement to those around me, so my desire is that you are not left with a life sentence of bondage, torment and fear masked in shame.
The One whom I serve, His name is Jesus... wants to breathe life into your secret life and give you a fresh start, a new beginning. There is NO amount of sin that He will not redeem if we want freedom. I can’t say the road would be easy; some issues are complicated but I can assure you that He will bring deliverance one step at a time, if you reach out. He has countless ways of freeing you from your prison of shame and secrets; it’s a supernatural plan for your life. It starts with a “Yes, God. I want to be free of these shackles.”
As I’ve walked through exposing skeletons in my closet, the pain of healing trumps the pain of staying in torment. Remember: we’ve all got stuff! Don’t allow the fear of pain hold you back any longer. Jesus takes us through a step-by-step process (custom-made for each of us) if we are willing and obedient to His leading. He will leave the 99 to help the one (you!). God SO loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, Jesus to take your sin and your pain and make you a new creation. He can supernaturally breathe new life into the dead places in your heart of hearts.
I’m reminded of my favorite true historical accounts in Ezekiel 37:1-14, of the Valley of Dry Bones. The people of Israel were saying, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone...” Maybe you feel this way today. Maybe you feel that parts of you have died; the skeletons in the closet are well buried under the walls of hurt, bitterness, betrayal or shame.
Today, allow the breath of God to blow on those dead places to bring life back into you. True freedom begins when we reach out to Him. It’s time to clean out our closets!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
