We are entering the second week of the HOPE series from North Bramalea United Church. I recommend looking up the message by Jamie and Katrina that was streamed by NBUC last Sunday (www.nbuc.ca). They have broken down the word HOPE into an acrostic:
H – Honest
O – Opportunity
P – Prayer
E- Expectation
Last week they talked about the first two letters: H & O and this week they will cover P & E.
For the next four devotionals I would like to focus on each of these letters. So, this week is H – Honest.
We humans can be pretty good at lying to ourselves. I had my gallbladder removed a number of years ago. I woke up in the middle of the night after the surgery with the most searing pain I had ever experienced in my life. The pain hit again during the following day and once again that next night. I did not want to admit something was wrong. The pain was horrific, but I just pretended it would go away. Finally, Mary had enough and called an ambulance. I didn’t want to be honest with myself, because I knew what that would mean. And, yes it was serious and I spent five days in hospital.
I have often joked that if given the choice between reality and a really good fantasy, I would choose fantasy every time. While fantasy can be preferable to reality, especially these days with the COVID-19 pandemic, the only thing honest about it is admitting that you would prefer fantasy.
We put ourselves at a disadvantage when we are dishonest with ourselves. It prevents us from being everything we could be, because it is only with an honest self-assessment that we fully understand who we are and what our potential is. I fear that we avoid personal honesty, because we are afraid that we might discover that we are something less than we want to be. But, here is the truth, we generally underestimate and limit ourselves. Our fear of an honest self-assessment means that we miss out on our full potential.
The Psalmist writes about how awesome we are made by God:
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. – Psalm 139:13-14 (TLB)
And, the apostle Paul writes:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 3:13 (ESV)
There is another way our inability to be fully honest holds us back and that is when we are afraid of being honest with God. I confess that I’ve never quite understood that one, since God is all knowing. Mind you that has not prevented me from pretending that God doesn’t know what’s going on in my life. When you think about it, it is absurd to try and fool God, or to hold back from God. We miss out on the fullness of the relationship that God offers us, when we aren’t honest with him.
God prefers honesty, he even made sure that there are lots of examples in the Bible. Here’s what David wrote:
How much longer will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How much longer will you hide yourself from me? How long must I endure trouble? How long will sorrow fill my heart day and night? How long will my enemies triumph over me? – Psalm 13:1-2 (GNT)
So, HOPE – H is for Honesty. Don’t be afraid of it. Honesty can be quite liberating.
I’m looking forward to the day that The Sunday Gathering can once again meet together. In the meantime, be safe. – Kevin.