Transparent: Window to the soul

If you read my blog, which you should be, you would have noticed a group of men I meet with that we call “the Forge”. It is a group where I can go and be completely transparent with fellow brothers in ministry from other churches. About 7 months ago God had me move out of the role of HS youth director/leader into the role of being part of a team running the men’s ministry in my church, along side of leading worship. If there is one thing I love about our men’s group that I have not seen in any men’s group I have been in it’s honesty and transparency. In both my men’s group and in the Forge nothing is off limits. Everybody is broken.

I decided to look up the definition of Transparent. Here is what it says:

transparent [trænsˈpærənt -ˈpɛər-]adj

1. permitting the uninterrupted passage of light; clear; a window is transparent

 

That definition is astounding. I think there are two keys for real ministry within the church. Honesty and Grace. I have been talking about both with my men and forge group for months. We need to be honest with one another, but at same time we need to have grace for each other when things get put on the table that may possibly floor us, hurt us, or concern us.

Real transparency is what I strive for in my groups and even in my marriage. These days it is very hard to find a group you can be transparent with like that. Let me give you a picture of that with the definition above.

 

Notice it says uninterrupted passage of light…like a window. Light can get in and out of a window if its clean and is not broken. Each one of us is like a window. Many of us are dirty with life, have chips, or are completely broken. When people see us they see the garbage caked on us or get cut by the shards sticking out of us and can’t see the light in us. Light from others can’t get in thru the ice that has developed over our hardened heart (window).

God wants to heal us from the inside out. I believe this healing starts with honesty thru confession. Finding somebody you can trust fully and spill your guts. My wife and my forge group know my hurts, my frustrations, my issues and they also know I am a work in progress. I once heard a friend say “broken people have sharp edges”. We are all broken and we need to be aware that we do cut people, but when we are honest and are open to Christ’s healing he buffs the sharp edges inside and also through others.

My goal in life, and let me say I am no where near this, is to have the window of my soul so clear of debris and brokenness that there is uninterrupted passage of the light of Christ.


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4 responses to “Transparent: Window to the soul”

  1. Gabe Taviano Avatar

    I think we all have sharp edges, since we’re all broken. Just truth that not everyone is brave enough to open up to other people about the details, trying to make it appear that life is smooth.

    I think the web even makes it easier for people to appear like they have it together. Thanks for not being one of them.

    Sure am glad life is full of second (and third, fourth….) chances. Nice post!
    .-= Gabe Taviano´s last blog ..New sites worth checking out =-.

  2. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Yes!

    Love it bro.. Nothing more powerful than a transparent heart bursting the Light of our Creator.. Broken shards and all.. 🙂
    .-= Adam´s last blog ..Fertilizer =-.

  3. brewster Avatar

    Joel,

    This is a killer post. The pressure on ministry staff is so great to fall into the trap of “looking right” as opposed to being real. Grace is the key…you are so right. I always want to extend grace to the level I will need it.

    Thanks for posting this.

  4. Gary Miller Avatar

    Wow, what a great post! Transparency is something that the church as a whole struggles with today! Its only when we allow ourselves to let HIS light shine through us (like the window) that healing, restoration, conviction, the amazing happens.

    Great post, keep up the great writing!

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