“Oh craaaap, why did I just say that?”
“Is it seriously that late? I’ve gotten nothing done!”
“Please tell me I took my phone out of my pocket. Please tell me it’s not in the wash…”
Let’s be honest. These aren’t exactly phrases you’d typically utter on your average Instagram post or blog. They’re not the kind of thoughts you want to tell the whole blogosphere. As humans, we typically don’t stand on street corners with a megaphone yelling “Hey—guess what?! I’m a hot mess!”
But this is the stuff of real life, isn’t it? They’re the kind of thoughts we think in our everyday real-as-can-be-lives. They’re the kind of things we vent to our best friend about, but not the whole world. And they’re sure-as-heck not the moments we put in a scrapbook to remember ten years from now. They’re messy. They’re embarrassing. They’re the kind of moments you’d find on AFV.
A few weeks back, one of my good friends and I were taking note of this. She noted how on social media, our lives look perfect even if our real lives are falling apart. We post about the relationship but not the breakup. We post about the success but not the failure. We post about the final product but not the hours dying with a glue gun ready to call it quits. We like things photoshopped and auto-tuned. We like things to be perfect.
Now, to be clear, this is not a urge to post your entire life online. Many of us are private people would prefer to keep things between just a few close friends. That’s perfectly fine. Normal even. Nonetheless, there is one person who we should never keep our most embarrassing and painful blooper moments from.
God.
Unfortunately, this can often be far too easy to do. For many of us, being real with God can feel vulnerable or even downright scary. We worry whether we sound church-y enough. Whether we have the “right” kind of problems (as if there are any). We worry God will end up face palming and shaking His head as we give our whole laundry list of all the things stressing us out. But the truth? God already knows.
God knows about that dream you’re worried will never come to be. God knows you’re worried about schoolwork and grades and getting into a good college. God knows about that guy that’s been on your mind more than you care to admit. If you’re older, he knows about your marriage, your finances, and your children. He knows us at our high points and He knows us just as well at our lows.
If you look to the Psalms, it’s clear that David, who was “A man after God’s own heart”, was brutally honest with God. He showed a full range of emotion—from praise, to frustration, to sadness, to anger, to joy. Psalm 69 is a perfect example of King David’s honesty, as it reads…
“Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help my throat is parched. My eyes fail,
looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” Psalm 69:1-4
Throughout Scriptures, those with the strongest faith were the ones who were the most real with God, as Paul laments “doing what he does not want to do and not doing what he should do” (Romans 7:15) and Thomas outright asked Jesus for evidence of His Resurrection (John 20:25).
There’s nothing that we can ask or express to Gd that He doesn’t already know.
He is always someone we can feel safe to be real with—even with our most un-instagram worthy moments.🙂
1 Timothy 4:12 Girl 
Love this! There is nothing like authenticity. when you are able to just be you. God created us all unique so we can serve him and reach people in a multitude of ways and attract different audiences by our differences. All one body that operates in so many different ways but preaching the same message in unity. There is nothing like being comfortable in the skin God gave you. wonderful post I love it I am inspired sis!
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Thanks Julian! So true that we need to stay authentic in sharing the Gospel. God gave each of us different personalities & talents and it’s important to be confident in those things – living out our full potential in Christ! Glad you stopped by bro – I hope to see you around here more often!
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hahahaha trust me I’m trying Courts. 😀😀😀
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Fantastic post Courtney. Very well put. It sounds easier than it really is. There are days where I just don’t say anything and carry the heavy load by myself, only to realize that it is MUCH heavier than I thought it would be; that’s when I realize that I need God’s help. Why is it that we seek His help and His guidance after the fact? The best answer I can give is we like to take the driver’s seat and pretend our driving is great, when in reality we need to trust what He has planned. 🙂
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Very insightful Byron! So true that as humans we tend to want to take the drivers seat – I struggle with the same thing. The important thing is to remember that God’s plans are bigger than our plans, like you said. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!🙂
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Great post! Truthfully, the days when I let out all my baggage before God are the days that I feel the closest to Him. Authenticity can be hard, but it’s sooo worth it!
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Absolutely Emily! Being transparent with God can be hard at times but it’s so worth it! Excellent insight!😃
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It took the most difficult experience of my life to teach me to be real. I was a robot who came out of Bible college and seminary. We were subliminally taught to be fake. Now I know the freedom of authenticity.
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Wow, that must have been difficult – I’m sorry to hear that! I went through something similar with a church one time, and it’s always the Worst when we get wounded or misguided in places that are supposed to lead us in following God. I’m so glad that you found freedom in Christ though! It’s definitely important to be authentic – especially in ministry!
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I totally agree. It wasn’t until I lost so much in one year, that I had a real talk with God. There was so much hurt in that year, but honestly without it I wouldn’t be as strong in my faith and relationship with God!
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I’m so sorry you went through that – sometimes our most significant growth comes from our hardest trials though. I’m glad to hear good came out of it.😊
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I’m in love with this post because it is painfully true, especially in our generation. When I talk to people about God, I always tell them to drop the religion and just talk to God like they’d talk to a friend. If they’re angry, hurt, or questioning, it’s okay. I also love that you pointed out that God already knows our worries and concerns. He’s just waiting on us to trust him enough to tell him on our own. Honest, funny, and inspiring post Courtney! Oh and btw, love the biblical examples used in this post!
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Thanks Celestial! I’m so glad to hear that you liked my post! And you have so much wisdom in this comment! I love what you said about “dropping the religion and just talking with God”. That can definitely be hard to do but it’s so important. God already knows our heart – our job is to just share it with Him. I really appreciate you stopping by!😊
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