The Dangers of Secrets
Secrets are very dangerous. Often as Christians we hide our weaknesses from each other. We fear being vulnerable and being judged. Secrets isolate us from others which the devil then uses the isolation to attack us.
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
How do lions hunt. They prey on the weaker and smaller animal that they are able to isolate from the herd. In the same way he uses the isolation to create a bigger divide. He spews lies at us that usually play off of the secrets and insecurities.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
There are two ways we can prevent the Devil from using secrets to put a divide between God and us. The first way is to be honest with other Christians. We need to depend on others for love and support. We need to ask others for prayer. The second way is to be supportive when someone is honest with you. This does not mean that we aren't allowed to hold other Christians accountable. It is our duty to hold each other accountable but it is also our job to pray and show them God's love.
In our society mental illness is looked down upon so much so that many live with it in secret. If it were spoken about those dealing with it would be able to see that they are not alone. One thing we need to know as Christians is that no person should depend on anything other than God, including their heart and flesh.
I struggled with postpartum depression right after giving birth to Abbie. When I was giving her a bath I had the thought of drowning her. I immediately took her out of the bathtub, placed her in her crib, and cried until my husband got home. I told him and my mom what happened and they helped me by taking care of bathing Abbie and not judging me. I kept it a secret from everyone else for years. I allowed the devil to fill me with guilt over the thought I had once. After talking to many more moms I realized that I am not alone. Many mothers have thoughts of harming their children at one point but would never do anything. If more mom's had been honest about their postpartum depression then I would have been saved the guilt and embarrassment. I am thankful that I told my mom and my hubby about it because I was able to get the help I needed. I wonder if other moms, who have been on the news for doing some terrible things, had been honest with friends or family it might have been prevented.
NAMI is an organization that is raising awareness for mental illness. I am going to be walking on May 26 to raise money to assist. If you want more information on them or would like to donate please go to the link below. Thank you.
http://www.nami.org/walkTemplate.cfm?section=NAMIWALKS&template=/customsource/namiwalks/walkerpage.cfm&walkerID=205202
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
How do lions hunt. They prey on the weaker and smaller animal that they are able to isolate from the herd. In the same way he uses the isolation to create a bigger divide. He spews lies at us that usually play off of the secrets and insecurities.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
There are two ways we can prevent the Devil from using secrets to put a divide between God and us. The first way is to be honest with other Christians. We need to depend on others for love and support. We need to ask others for prayer. The second way is to be supportive when someone is honest with you. This does not mean that we aren't allowed to hold other Christians accountable. It is our duty to hold each other accountable but it is also our job to pray and show them God's love.
In our society mental illness is looked down upon so much so that many live with it in secret. If it were spoken about those dealing with it would be able to see that they are not alone. One thing we need to know as Christians is that no person should depend on anything other than God, including their heart and flesh.
I struggled with postpartum depression right after giving birth to Abbie. When I was giving her a bath I had the thought of drowning her. I immediately took her out of the bathtub, placed her in her crib, and cried until my husband got home. I told him and my mom what happened and they helped me by taking care of bathing Abbie and not judging me. I kept it a secret from everyone else for years. I allowed the devil to fill me with guilt over the thought I had once. After talking to many more moms I realized that I am not alone. Many mothers have thoughts of harming their children at one point but would never do anything. If more mom's had been honest about their postpartum depression then I would have been saved the guilt and embarrassment. I am thankful that I told my mom and my hubby about it because I was able to get the help I needed. I wonder if other moms, who have been on the news for doing some terrible things, had been honest with friends or family it might have been prevented.
NAMI is an organization that is raising awareness for mental illness. I am going to be walking on May 26 to raise money to assist. If you want more information on them or would like to donate please go to the link below. Thank you.
http://www.nami.org/walkTemplate.cfm?section=NAMIWALKS&template=/customsource/namiwalks/walkerpage.cfm&walkerID=205202
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