You know, no one ever wakes up and says, “Today is the day I ruin my spouse’s life.” It just doesn’t happen like that. If there is disappointment, it is usually slow and subtle. But every decision we make today, for good or bad, will have ripple effects that will effect our spouse, our kids, our friends and those we hold dearest.
It’s like the garden scene in Genesis 2-3. Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden and told by God they could do anything except eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We don’t know how long they were in the garden but eventually, Satan entered, he tempted them both, they ate of the tree and sin entered the world along with shame and guilt.
Have you have felt ashamed of choices you made? Have you ever been guilty of something? Well, yes. We all have felt both of those things in our lives. Because of sin, we feel shame and guilt. But there is a remedy.
We discover in Ephesians 5:8-11 that before we met Jesus and accepted him as Lord, we lived in darkness. We were dark-living people. What is so true is that shame grows in darkness and healing only happens in the light. See, Satan, wants to keep us in the dark. He wants to isolate us. He wants to convince us that we can journey alone and we don’t need community. And the shame and guilt we feel when we make poor choices, Satan would say it’s part of our identity. It’s who we are. When we are alone, in darkness, we begin to believe his voice.
I’m reminded though God has already told me who I am. He says I’m made in his image. I’m his child. I’m part of his family. God is light. Jesus is light. We are called to be people of light…to live in the light. Satan wants us to live in secrecy but we discover that secrecy is the enemy of intimacy in all our relationships.
So, if you are struggling in your life, use truth with your spouse and with God to come into the light. Healing only happens in the light. See, we confess our sin to God for forgiveness and we confess our sin to people for healing.
Gather our accountability group. Get into and read God’s Word. Become part of a faith group. Begin speaking to God through prayer. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy. If you want the burden you’ve been carrying to be removed, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest.” What are you waiting for? Press through the pain of truth to get to the peace of healing. I know you are ready. It’s time to live as people of light. Blessings on your journey.