Ernest Smith

Over the last couple weeks, I have shared some thoughts on how to grow spiritually.  The thoughts included memorizing God’s Word, fasting, swing thought, hunger and thirst.  These are just a few ways a person can grow spiritually.

As I began to process what else someone can do to grow spiritually, the Lord reminded me of one of the most important steps a person must take if they are going to grow in their walk with the Lord.  That step is to: Be Transparent.

Transparency is not something that comes natural for most of us.  It is easier to hide what we are doing or what we have done than it is to show the world the ugliness of our heart.  The world teaches us to hide what we do because being  transparent is scary and can make us lose something important.

This is even more noticeable right now with what is going on at Penn State.  A coach, and a program, that was known for integrity, character and doing the right thing, has been tarnished because of the unwillingness to be transparent.

Transparency is essential for spiritual growth because it provides three things.

One, honesty.

I know it sounds simple, but you can’t deal with issues unless you are honest about them.  There have been times when Sara has turned to me and called me out on things and it is in those moments I have a choice.  I could choose to cover it up, defend my case or just be honest.  Every time I have chosen to be honest, I have seen healing, forgiveness and growth.

Two, trust.

Trust is essential for spiritual growth.  When you are transparent before God and before others, it communicates trust.  You are telling God, and any others, “I trust you and I am going to let you see a side of me that is broken and I need help to get it fixed.”

Three, accountability.

Accountability is one of the most treasured gifts we could have in our lives.  When we have people who are willing to hold us accountable, then we will discover greater growth in our lives.

So why is it that a person can receive such great benefits from being transparent, but still struggle with the concept?  The simple answer is pride.

Pride, or independence, is really the root of most, if not all, of our sin.  Pride will hold us back from being willing to share what is going on in our life.  When we are prideful, we are fearful of being found out.  When we are prideful, we are more concerned about our reputation than our growth.  When we are prideful, we ultimately will experience isolation, rather than community.

No one wants to live in fear and isolation, yet many choose this life every day.  But is it worth it?

Being transparent is hard.  It can hurt.  It is risky.  But, in the end, it is extremely worth the pain and the risk.

Choose to be different…choose to be honest…choose to trust…choose to be held accountable…choose to be Transparent.   The choice is yours, what will you choose?