Giving Up Lies

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

— Romans 5:8

Nathan was about to lose it all, and he knew it. Two executives in his insurance company had requested a meeting with him that morning and now sat across the conference table from him. In no uncertain terms, they told him he was no longer part of the company. He wasn’t surprised. After all, he’d been using his company credit card to purchase prescription pain pills for this 20-a-day habit, which he’d been hiding for more than a decade.

Nathan walked home to his wife, who he’d been lying to, knowing that he’d have to confess it all. And that he’d have to tell her that they and their three kids were homeless. He wasn’t sure how it had gotten this bad. The pills had seemed harmless at first. They took away the pain, but now they’d given him an entirely new agony.

His wife met him at the door and immediately asked him what was wrong. He had no choice but to tell her the truth. He poured out his heart and begged for forgiveness. But he didn’t really expect it. He expected those he loved to turn their backs on him.

But they didn’t. They rallied around him, helping him through recovery and seeing him restored to a new job and a new life. One night he asked his wife why she had stayed. And she reminded him of Romans 5:8. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Even while he was addicted, she loved Nathan too.

Many of us hide secrets. Some that seem harmless. Some that can ruin our lives. All are destructive. They keep us chained up and living in fear of retribution. We fear discovery, and we cover ourselves with shame.

But even in the midst of all of that, one truth remains. Christ died for us. He loves us. And He offers His forgiveness to us. We must only ask.

Today’s One Thing

Do you have a secret? Is there something you’ve been hiding from others that you need to share in order to be completely free? Open up to God and ask Him to make a way for you to tell the truth to those who need to hear it today.

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