Have you ever told a lie? I’m reasonably sure your answer is yes, even if honesty is a well-known trait of your reputation. I was a young teen when my dad asked me a question he already knew the answer to. I loved my dad very much and did not want to disappoint him, so I lied. I thought I was protecting the love he had for me by shielding him from my failure. The reality is that I could not have hurt him any more than I did.

My lie told him I wasn’t secure in our relationship. I didn’t have enough faith in my father to believe the truth would not change how he felt about me. He expressed his hurt by asking, “Why? Why don’t you feel like you can tell me the truth?” Then he cried…my heart sank to know I had hurt my dad so much.

“God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves.’” (Genesis 1:26) If I, in being untruthful, was able to cause my earthly father to cry, how must the heart of our Almighty Father break over all the things we try to hide from Him! We often take the shameful parts of ourselves and lock them away from Father so He won’t be disappointed or we won’t anger Him. He promises to forgive everything we repent of but sometimes we keep things back because we are ashamed–surely God must be too, we think.  

“Because he thinks it over and repents of all the transgressions he committed, he will certainly live, not die.” (Ezekiel 18:28) He says repent: feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. Sincere regret or remorse can only happen when sin is revealed. “He will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness.”  (1 Corinthians 4:5) Don’t chain yourself to the past. When you let the Spirit enter the dark halls and breathe forgiveness, you will feel freedom and see the Light. Nothing is so horrible that Jesus’ shed blood will not cover it. Your Father already knows and His amazing love is still secure!

Are you trying not to disappoint your Father by hiding the truth?  Freedom is found by confessing your shame.