The purest place.
The place from which I want to write my words. Greater still, the place from which I want to live my life. To write and live otherwise is hypocrisy.
Hypocrite. The word hupokrites meaning “one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, one who assumes and speaks or acts under a feigned character; a dissembler, pretender.”
I’m not a pretender; I live out loud before my God and before you. The me you find here isn’t the sanitized, polished version of me. Some are uncomfortable with that; some would rather see me otherwise. No, what you find here is a woman on the road toward perfection. Some days getting it right; most days living beneath that “right”. If there is any good living in me, it is solely based on the sanitization that has come to me through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. He, alone, is my worthiness.
To write from a place of perfection is to never write at all. If “having it all figured out” were the prerequisite for blog entries, then none of us should ever pick up the pen again. I’m not kidding. What kingdom profit is there in our pretending? What can be gained from prettying up our “pictures” other than to stroke our egos via the compliments of others? I don’t want to write from a place of pretension. I don’t want to read it as well. I just want to live real and to be in a community of people who feel the same way.
This means, there will be days when I struggle…
with Sundays.
with worship.
with sin.
with disappointments.
with regrets.
with anger.
with love.
with parenting.
with selfishness.
with unkind words.
with unclean thoughts.
with unforgiveness.
with _____________.
This also means there will be days when I joyously overflow…
with Sundays.
with worship.
with freedom.
with hope.
with promise.
with kindness.
with love.
with parenting.
with selflessness.
with encouragement.
with purity of thought.
with grace.
with ______________.
You’ll find it all when you come here because my all is what I have to give you, not some sanitized version therein. This is my life; my walk of grace; my journey toward peace. No one thing, one experience, one difficulty gets a pass. It’s all open ground for God’s kingdom purposes.
Our days and nights, nights and days, are filled with the stuff of our becoming. Our moving closer into the image of Christ. Our being shaped and fitted for a bridal gown worthy of the aisle of heaven. We don’t get that dressing overnight, friends. In fact, until we shed this flesh, we live each day exposed, half-dressed for the entire world to see. I think God has created our flesh for public disclosure. In doing so, you and I become a living witness and testimony to the power of God’s transforming work in our lives.
But we’ve perfected our cover-ups, and they are easily detected by God and others. It’s painful to watch, painful to read, painful because there is no healing, no moving onto perfection, as long as the hiding of our “stuff” takes precedence over the exposure therein.
I’m not suggesting that your “putting it all out there” in a public forum is the best way for you to work through your problems; some issues are better dealt with in the privacy of your own sacred space with God. Some things are too raw for public viewing. What I am suggesting, though, is that when you and I do take the steps to “work out” our salvation with our words and our honest approach to the process, grace and kindness should be the portion we afford one another; not judgment or condemnation.
The purest place. The inner chamber where the living God resides and where faith’s illumination and grace’s redeeming work is accomplished.
If we cannot write our words from that place because we fear the words of others in this place, then we live as hypocrites. Counterfeits. Characters on a stage that, when the curtain is drawn and the applause has subsided, go home to live in isolation and emptiness. And I, for one, refuse to resign my life to isolation.
I choose exposure. To God and to you. For some of you, that’s not an easy swallow. Your palate prefers a smoother, more digestible menu. I understand, and I graciously excuse you from the table. But for the few of you who’ve made it this far, who’ve hung with me and who think there just might be something to this “being real” with one another, then stick around. There’s more to come because, God willing, I have a few more seasons to walk. And whether I want them to or not, words find me on the path. Fill me, and then force me to pen them for public disclosure.
The sustaining prayer of my heart is that when I do dip the pen into the inkwell of my thoughts—when I choose public disclosure over private rumination—my words will write from the purest place within. The place where my heart intersects with the heart of God and where the resulting conclusion births kingdom seed.
You are my friends. I value your presence in my life. I value your life. This isn’t a game for me, and certainly isn’t about painting you a perfect picture. It’s solely about living God’s truth out loud and on purpose with the hope of encouraging your heart to do the same.
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, always be found acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. So be it. As always…
peace for the journey,
“hupokrites” from… Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992), 1423-1424.
Wouldn't want you any other way Elaine!
Elaine, this is a beautiful expose on freedom. May we all find ourselves walking in it and giving it to others!
Continued blessings on your gift of words!
Kathy
Elaine I am forever thankful that God led your life to intersect with mine. Your open, honest, heart, void of costuming, gives me a beautiful view of Christ in you.
Keep sharing Him…and your walk with Him…you encourage my journey.
Love ya,
Joy
Lord Jesus… I seek "the purest place" I seek YOU LORD. Praise You in all things Father God. In Jesus' name, amen.
this is beautiful Elaine … thank you so much for sharing this post with us! It is my prayer that I can be pure before Jesus!
Amen! Amen! Amen! I spoke of this a while back. We do a disservice to others if we always only present our polished sides. In doing that, we don't show the struggles we have…the same struggles we all have…and God's amazing grace in overcoming them.
Amen Elaine! Amen and Amen!!!
I shared a post earlier that shares about you and a portion of this subject. Enjoyed our chat.
Love you girl. Keeping you in prayer as I know you are praying for me.
Walking it with you in CHRIST and FOR His glory.
WOW! Elaine, you're speaking my language! This is my first visit to your blog and I love your spirit already!
I ALWAYS say, I am what I am and I truly mean that. Perfect? No. Striving to be Christlike? Yes!
Thank God for Jesus!
I love you my friend…and I love the heart of this matter and post…for He is found right smack dab in the middle of it..and I will leave here today encouraged to continue to allow Him to peel off that what must be removed to expose the purity He has created in me!
"…grace and kindness should be the portion we afford one another…" I heartily agree, Elaine.
And blessings to you as you write from a place of honesty. I so appreciate your friendship as a blogging sister!
Great thoughts Elaine.
Longing for that pure place daily.
Thanks for keeping it real♥
Dear Elaine…you find a way to say so many things that I feel along the way but stop to take the time to capture. Thanks for putting it out there for all of us…we're all in pursuit of peace and perfection..and only with God's help can we keep on walking! st
So right! I love it how you say that we can't wait for perfection to write (or serve or live). So many times I analyze myself and my motives to death and end up doing nothing. What a prompt to jump in and trust that those promptings are in fact from Him. Thanks for this word, Elaine. I needed it.
I love your heart, bless you.
I instantly thought of the Watermark song when I saw the title of this post! I for one am so thankful you choose to be real… I admire you so much and it's comforting to know that you also struggle with some things.
I'm truly thankful for your ministry here!
Love this. You are speaking my language, friend.
Lisa 🙂
This is why I keep comin' back Elaine – because you are a real person, living your life out loud thankful with a heart full of seeking your savior, and just like me, learning the lessons in the journey. So thankful for His grace in our lives.
Lori
Dear friend, what you write is truth. I have never read any post where you did not speak it. Where you were not real.
And praise God for that! I'll speak a truth here to you, too. If I can't be real, I don't want to be anything at all! If Jesus is not living in me and through me, then I am wasting my time, your time, and fooling myself.
Keep writing! So many are listening to your words! And we are all thirsty and in need.
Love,
Andrea
Yours is, and has always been (as least in the year+ that I've visited here) a most authentic perspective. I wouldn't relish it so if it weren't. I count on it. I know I'll be touched, or convicted, or encouraged, or inspired, or moved to tears, or all of the above.
I have long been a transparent one. It has left me wide-open to many hurts & heartaches, but not nearly as many as the joys & rewards of being open. A worthwhile trade!
Keep speaking of it, dear one. May the masses follow suit, and may their freedom come from & be in Him!
Love,
Kathleen
I, like you, have to constantly work toward being found in the purest place, and being real. It is so easy to think we are something we are not. We are studying Daniel right now, and learning that Babylon was all about 'image', as is our world today.
I love that you are real and free to be honest. Thanks for this reminder.
I could not agree more!!
I just want to be vulnerable and honest before God and those to whom He allows me to minister.
Leah
Hey Elaine:)
I understand what you are saying, I want to be genuine always too. No pretense. I need to be fixed by the Lord in so many areas. I don't want to be consumed with what others might say to my disclosure of my true self. I want genuine humility. Genuine walk, genuine faith. That part of your post reminds me of the verses that say something like it is before your own Master that you stand or fall, and He is able to make you stand.
Blessings to you, Elaine:)
katiegfromtennessee
"I choose exposure."
I choose exposure!! I wouldn't want my life any other way! Hiding is so unpleasant because you never get to truly be "you" And, if not, then you really are living a life that is a lie and the people in your life might be totally different if you truly exposed who you were. There is no peace in holding back at all. Transparency brings freedom!!!!
Such a great post Elaine! I have come to love your exposure! 🙂
Chrsity
Amen my friend!
I don't consider myself a pretender – just an avoider. In truth though, isn't that the same thing?!
Been wanting to avoid much of my life of late but funny how you can't do that.
Shalom,
Denise
Yes, keep it real sister!!! I love it when you're "real". This was a great post and perfectly describes the sanctified life of a believer. I put it all out there on my blog today in a post called Dunlap Disease, lol. Drop by, the photo is sure to make you smile. Love and mucho ((hugs)) in Christ.
And I will NEVER have it all figured out!! Love this, sweet girl! I just love your writing and you. Beautiful truths, Elaine. Beautiful.
Love you!
Susan
THis is one of my all -time favorite Watermark songs! Beautiful. And you epitomize it, my friend. Thank you for offering to pray…we have been ill for two weeks…better for the most part, just tired now! It's good to be back and spend time with you.
Luv,
laura
Quotes from Beth Moore's Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman, Session Three.
"One of the most important parts of fulfilling our destiny is our transparency."
She talks about "to identify is to testify." How it may feel below us. That we don't want to remember the rock we were cut from. But that is a "false sheltering."
"The revelation of a person's destiny always demands a revelation of the person. Consider the wording 'if you remain silent at this time.'"
Well, I could go on and on and on… but you know where my heart lies… and I think you may have spurred me on to a post…
With much appreciation and love!
Honest. Vulnerable. Authentic. How Jesus can use such a life. I thank you for your bold example of living your life out loud. For not holding back and for pointing us to the very Person of our undoing…and redoing.
I only pray I can follow in your footsteps.
As always, I am blessed by your sharing your heart and God's word.
This is the only Elaine I will take the time to read. Pray my writing is the same – and that I can come from that purest place as well.