Where’s Nathan?

No one wants to tell their secrets. Ever.  Jesus Himself spoke of how loathe we are to come clean about the dirty places in our lives (John 3:20). But left ignored and unchallenged these secrets grow like a cancer to ultimately hurt or destroy not just us but a lot of people around us as well.  This isn’t true for some of us.  This is all of us.  No one is immune. Sin kills.  Always.  In whatever form it takes.  Some sins do more damage than others, but all of them damage. Every. Single. One.  It’s in the nature of sin to be deadly (Romans 6:16,23).

Hence the call to tell your secrets.  It’s the only way to keep us honest.  It’s the only way to let the light of Christ come and heal those dark places and bring life instead of death.  It’s time to literally come clean.

So we can just pray right?  Confess and be healed?  Not exactly.  On  the one hand that’s true.  When we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But that still leaves us hiding and vulnerable. We got into it by ourselves and we can do it again. 

Unless….

Unless we allowed some select brothers and sisters in to help us.  We can’t defeat sin on our own.  We need the help of the Holy Spirit. But oftentimes the main way He sends such aid is through each other.   Maybe this is why James commands us to confess our sin not to the Lord (that is assumed) but to one another that we may be healed (James 5:16).  David needs Nathan to keep him honest. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two to keep them accountable. Paul always tried to take someone with him so no one could accuse him of stealing from or bilking the churches. 

So who’s your Nathan?  Who are you completely honest with.  This isn’t a spiritual luxury.  It isn’t an option.  You need those kinds of friends.  Maybe this week you need to contact a spiritual friend and do the uncomfortable work of coming clean.  It’s not easy.  There will most likely be consequences.  But one of those consequences is healing, and joy, and health, and more life that you’ll ever experience hiding in the dark.