1 John 1:7 NLT

'But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.'

I don’t know if you’ve ever had what was once for me a recurring nightmare. I saw myself standing before God, surrounded by a great crowd. Among that crowd were former colleagues, church members, family and friends. I waited with a sickening, sinking feeling in my stomach as I realised that all my hidden sins, those thoughts and actions I’d successively kept from the gaze of all but myself, were about to be revealed by God in judgement. I was ashamed and embarrassed at what would be revealed.

It’s amazing how glibly I treated sin for so many years. I rationalised bad attitudes and bad behaviours. It was as if I plotted my own course, choosing to reflect God’s values only in as far as I chose to.

It’s hard to recall just how much of my life was a lie, but it was probably something equivalent to an iceberg. That which was on public display appeared godly, passionate and dedicated to God’s service, yet below the waterline there was a hidden, unconfessed life that I needed to manage carefully.

Fear of the light for me was fear of a loss of face. My ego tripped me up. I also knew I was very judgemental of others when light revealed their wrongdoing. How hypocritical, thinking my sins were different. Light reveals what is hidden. It is a great release, as I’d discovered when my misdemeanours as a child were discovered by my parents or teachers. There were consequences, yet a great release of tension within.

QUESTION: If your life was opened to public scrutiny, how comfortable would you feel?

PRAYER: Lord, help me to live in the light of your holiness and love. Thank you for cleansing me from sin.