40 Days of Lint, Day Twenty-Five: Exposed!

I heard the story of a man who was secretly married to two different women. The families lived in two different states, and had a completely separate life unaware the other existed. Imagine their shock when he died and these families discovered each other. A similar case was revealed in 2010 when thirty-three men were trapped in a mine in Chile. The families gathered for prayer where his wife came face to face with her husband’s mistress. The events of his rescue proved to be a revelation for them all.

I’ve had secrets uncovered to my own demise too. When I was a child, I disliked meat. At our home in Tennessee, I had been able to sneak it out to a spot in the garage where the cat ate it. But when we moved to Oregon, I unwisely tossed my partially chewed meat under the table to dispose of after the meal. But one night, my dad discovered my little secret. And he was none too happy.

I’ve been caught in lies, disobedience, irresponsibility, and even cruelty. I’m thankful for the times I was discovered and forced to see the harm I’d done to myself and others. It gave me opportunities to think things over and make different choices the next time.

On the other hand, it’s nice when we have secrets that are for the blessing and encouragement of others. Even when we try to keep them hidden, sometimes others find out. The best treasures, though, are the secrets we share with Jesus. He delights in our plans and rewards our efforts for His sake, even when we make a mess in our attempts.

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them;

 the sins of others trail behind them.

In the same way, good deeds are obvious,

and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

1 Timothy 5:24-25

Someday, everything will be revealed – our intentions, thoughts, words, and actions. At the Judgment seat, what’s hidden in our pockets will be emptied for all to see. We will either hang our head in shame for giving in to temptation, or gratefully praise our Father for leading us the right Way. We might fool others now, but God sees it plainly. Even our deepest heart and most private thoughts are open to His gaze.

As long as we live, God looks on us with love and compassion, calling us to walk with Him and take pleasure in His ways. But if we pull back from Him now, we’ll be exposed on the Day of Judgment. I’m so grateful for Jesus’ blood that covers all the sins of our past. We can walk in newness of spirit with Him every day. Whatever we openly show Him now is cleansed by His forgiveness. That gives us hope for the Day we stand before His throne, with no secrets to hide.

Lint Removed: Secrets

Cleaning Process: Be Honest With God