Would you say that you have transparent relationships?
Transparent – easy to see through, understand, or recognize; without concealment; open; frank; candid
Transparency is letting your guard completely down, humbling yourself and getting honest with others, yourself and most importantly, God.
Healthy Relationships
Living in a world full of pride, we like to point out others’ sins, short-comings, habits, and quirks but when it comes to our own, we hide in our closets from those that we fear may condemn, judge or reject us for it. Pride and unfair judgment are such nasty sins and when they work together they are even nastier. You may judge others but justify your own behavior or maybe you justify others behavior but judge yourself harshly. This can block you from having an authentic and healthy relationship.
Transparent relationships are the deepest and most gratifying relationships to have. It’s when you confess and admit your shortcomings and ask for forgiveness, support, and accountability. They are real and establish a foundation of humility, hope, and trust. You admit you fall short to everyone’s expectations and quite often your own. We can be own worse critics, can’t we?
What do you have to lose?
So what do you have to lose in revealing all of your flaws to those you love? Your false, surface-level relationships. They will crack under pressure, hide from the truth and wither away.
In losing the false relationships, you gain much more. Your authentic and transparent relationships will come to the forefront and will strengthen during hardships, hold tight to faith and rejoice in the truth.
A Glasswing Butterfly
This reminds me of the beautiful “Glasswing Butterfly.” It is a magnificent creature that you can see through. Their beauty comes from the light shining through them. Although their transparency makes them a rare find, it protects them from becoming prey to the outside world. It filters through the allies and the enemies.
I’ll conclude with a poem from my book.
T r a n s p a r e n c y
Sometimes I grow weary and become tempted to give in, especially when it seems that those who win are the ones that are swimming and doing backstrokes in the sea of sin.
Then the Lord reminds me not to believe those lies because eventually, they will drown in their own vanity… and what He has planned for me? No ears have yet heard, and no eyes have yet seen.
I’m not worthy of His love, His favor and especially His Grace. I try hard to be obedient, not the rebellious daughter that proclaims her Father’s name, with the intent to bring Him glory but only brings Him shame.
“Oh, please, Father, I beg you to remove the groaning within me. I try my best, but sometimes this world can get the best of me.”I openly confess my sins for everyone to see, attempting to be proactive and show accountability before those nasty sins overpower me.
I wear my heart and soul on my sleeve like an ‘S’ on my chest, and, yes, the ‘’S’ is for SAVED. Some call it foolish, but the Lord calls it transparency.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Read also: Growing into sisterhood
