Exposing your weaknesses and failings takes courage and involves risk. When I have hidden my heart from others in the past, I have done so because I was afraid I would be misunderstood or hurt. But a minister with a true heart for the kingdom lives in transparency.
Are you living in transparency? Do you admit when you make a mistake? Are you honest about your disappointments and your fears? Or do you wear a mask of perfection?
If we want others to experience the depth of God’s grace and catch a glimpse of His goodness, mercy and unfailing love, we have to be willing to share the struggles we are facing and the lessons we are learning in our own walk with Christ. Rather than dispensing advice and pretending to have it all together, we need to share how God is working in the midst of our difficulties. You need to be willing to share such intimate things as the way God is sustaining you as you await the return of a prodigal son, or how you are finding peace during a season of loss.
When we try to hide our weaknesses and flaws and give the impression of perfection, aren’t we really attempting to elevate ourselves into the position of Christ, rather than magnifying the transforming work of Christ in our hearts? Let’s remove the masks of perfection. Transparency is risky, but an honest walk with Christ breeds hope, and authenticity, and unity, and transformation.
Mindy Ferguson
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