True & Righteous Hearts
End the evil of those who are wicked,
and defend the righteous.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,
O righteous God.
God is my shield,
saving those whose hearts are true and right. Psalm 7:9-10
One of the great mysteries of the world is how do we trust in one another. For many, it needs to be proven over time whereas for others, it feels right. For me, I tend to be trusting early on, and it grows from there. I’m not the person that loans you my car on day one, but I would be the person who would give you a lift particularly if you knew someone I trusted. But what really drives my trust in another is not what I believe. It is how authentic you are. Do your words back your actions? Are you willing to share who you really are even when it might make you uncomfortable?
For example, my struggle as of late has been with depression. I do not need medication for it, but I realize that when I fail to have deep and meaningful connections with people over time, I feel it coming over. My mood begins to shift toward negative thoughts, and my worries grow. Even my prayers do not seem to hit the mark. I mention this neither because this was my feeling over a few months, nor I need people to be concerned about me. It is to share how anyone can have moments where they are simply not okay and were it not for people in my life who loved and cared for me, I am unsure how I could have made it forward. They all were authentically concerned for me, and their hearts were true and right.
One cannot have an authentic and trusting relationship with God without having a heart that is both true and right. I listened to a sermon about the importance of authenticity in our walk of faith. This is hard concept for many because as a Christian, we are taught to rely on the goodness of the Lord, and as such, we walk in His light, which brings joy. That joy shines from within us. Yet, we are not perfect. Remember the story of Jesus and the rich man (see Mark 10:17-31). While most read the story and understood that the rich man was unwilling to give up his wealth to have treasure in heaven, some realized that Jesus was trying to make the point that no one is perfect. We all have our ‘riches’ that we are unwilling to surrender or ‘sin’ where we struggle with. While our righteous walk is what many will admire from afar, it is where we fail that draw others closer to us and connect with people. Why? Because we all fall short of God’s Glory, and it is difficult to talk to someone who falls short when you only want them to see you are flawless. You see, our authenticity matters. It is what God sees, and when we show this to others, it does not diminish our light. Our story shows where we were and how God transformed and strengthened us.
God loves our true self. That does not mean the part that always succeeds or the good parts. Paul said, “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Being authentic allow for God’s strength to shine from within us. I am not saying to hide those wonderful things that God placed inside you that he loves. Let us share the good in us as well! Just remember that when we are showing all the wonderful things God has done in our lives to remind people that just like them, we too have fallen before and gotten up. Do you remember when you last failed God? Who can that story help? How can you remember God’s strength in your moments of weakness? My prayer is that we display our authentic selves, so others see our true and righteous hearts. Amen.