What keeps us from living victoriously? Ever wonder?
Today I discovered at least one thing that keeps women like you and me from the abundant, full life that Jesus came to give us – secrets.
Do you have any? And no, I’m not talking about the surprise birthday party you’re planning for your husband or the bridal shower gift you bought for your niece. I’m talking about the kind of stuff that you know is wrong, would make you want to die if anyone knew, but keep on doing, thinking, saying it anyway, kind of secret.
Maybe it’s lust…
or drinking more than you should…
or overspending..
or debt….
or binging…
or adultery..
or jealousy…
or envy…
or angry, out of control outbursts…
or bitterness and resentment..
or shame…
or a perpetual bad attitude…
But whatever it is, it’s a secret that lies deep within your heart and it’s defeating you.
Achan had this kind of secret.
His story is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua, which I read today. One line caught my attention above all others:
” Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”
God had given the people specific instructions as they entered the promise land: Don’t take any of the plunder – the booty – for yourself. But old Achan saw a bar of gold, some silver, a gorgeous robe and he just couldn’t keep his greedy hands from taking them.
And he knew it was wrong. You know how I know? He hid them.
If he thought taking this stuff was fine and dandy he would have done what we do when we find a great bargain at our favorite store – we tell everyone who will listen. Yes sir. We don’t keep stuff to ourselves.
Unless we know it’s wrong.
Then we hide it.
But the problem we have when we try to hide stuff is the same problem Achan faced. You can’t hide things from God. Which is a good thing, really. Because secrets keep us in bondage. They keep us from reaching our full potential personally and spiritually. “You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you”, God told Joshua.
The implication? You’ll keep living in defeat if you don’t remove these things from among you.
And the same is true for you and me. We will never be victorious as long as we harbor secret sins in our lives. Plain and simple we have to “remove these things from among us.” Come clean. Confess. Repent. Remove these things….
And here’s the good news for us as New Testament believers – Jesus forgives us and wipes our slate clean. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What’s our part? To confess our sins. To agree with God that our secret sin is wrong, needs to be brought into the light of God’s unfailing grace and needs to be removed from us.
What’s God’s part? He will forgive our sins. He will. Not “he might”. He will. And he will cleanse us. He’ll make us as white as snow. Pure. Clean. Free.
The result? A woman who lives in victory rather than defeat. A woman who lives in freedom rather than in bondage. A woman who lives in the light of God’s merciful love rather than the shame of her own self-loathing.
And that, my sweet friends, is nothing to hide.
