When my daughter was a little girl, she would often hide her face when she got in trouble. If she covered her eyes and couldn’t see us- how could we possibly see her?  It was cute…and made it tough to discipline her!

I’m really no different, however. I often have that same sentiment when there’s sin in my life. I try to hide it deep inside…containing it in my innermost thoughts. If no one can see my struggle- maybe it’s not a distraction or something that I need to address.

But God knows.

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.  Luke 12:2-3

He knows of my sin. He knows my innermost thoughts.

For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. Mark 4:22

But God is faithful and forgiving.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

My prayer this week is to have the strength to address secret sin….to truly deal with those thoughts and actions that are keeping me from a closer walk with Jesus. Thoughts of anger, pride and selfishness.

Jesus wants to heal me. And thank God for this grace that flows so abundantly!

Please let me know how I may pray for you this week.

God bless.

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus‬ ‭26:1‬ ‭

We recently hosted a speaker at my workplace that talked about mental health and wellness issues. She informed us that one of the prevailing crisises in the mental health world is the false reality that social media creates.

Instagram. Twitter. Snapchat. Facebook.  And the pressure to create the image of a “perfect” life.

Perfect kids. Perfect spouse. Perfect lifestyle. Popularity.

While there’s nothing wrong with sharing our experiences with others, it can become an issue for our own mental health when we start comparing the “virtual lives” of others with our own flawed, broken lives.  Comparison- it’s been said- is the thief of joy.

She spoke of another issue with the wellness pitfalls of social media…and that we can use it to create idols of ourselves.

What? Idols of ourselves?

When we go beyond sharing and move toward logging how many “followers” we have….how many “likes” we get on a certain posting…how many “shares” we receive from a particular photo….we are in danger of building an idol of ourselves.

This hit my squarely in the chest. I use social media to promote my workplace and region, but I often catch myself trying to say the “right” thing or following how many responses I receive on my posts.

My prayer this week is that I look at social media at what it truly is: a platform for sharing a message or to stay connected with others. And I will also pray that I use it for good…and not be consumed with the pitfalls associated with self-promotion and vanity. I want to let the Lord’s love and grace radiate through my words, thoughts and images.

Please let me know how I may pray for you, too.

God bless you.