An Honest Woman - Girlfriends in God - March 8, 2016

March 8, 2016
An Honest Woman
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

The LORD does what is right, and he loves justice, so honest people will see his face (Psalm 11:7, NCV).

Friend to Friend

Worship is a word we often use but something we rarely experience. Oh, we say we are going to a worship service each Sunday, but do we really encounter the living God? Or do we merely participate in another weekly religious gathering?

When was the last time you walked away from a worship service – eternally changed because God met you there? We misunderstand what true worship is and fail to recognize the requirements of worship.

A preacher, out for a walk, noticed a group of boys standing around a small stray dog. “What are you doing, boys?” he asked. “Telling lies,” one young man explained. “The one who tells the biggest lie gets the dog.” The minister was shocked and said, “Why, when I was your age I never even thought about telling a lie.” The boys looked at each other and their faces fell in disappointment. Finally, one young man shrugged and said, “I guess he wins the dog.”

To worship God means that we must come before Him with an honest heart. No, we cannot actually see His face, but we can understand who He is, recognize His power, and acknowledge His sovereignty. True worship takes place in an honest heart.

Honesty is a rapidly disappearing attribute. Truth is hedged and masked. Integrity is compromised. “Mom isn’t here” our children say when we want to avoid the caller. We silently pocket the change that was counted incorrectly in the drive-through lane. Untruths we label as “small white lies” punctuate our character until authenticity is forfeited.

A life of integrity demands honesty. So does worship.

Worship is all about seeking the face of God. Seeking God with our whole heart is the first step in experiencing authentic worship. We cannot truly seek Him until we are willing to come before Him in absolute abandonment … completely and totally honest before Him.

In the gospel of Luke, we find a woman who came to dinner at the home of Simon Peter. This woman came for one reason alone - she had heard that Jesus would be there. It was common knowledge that this woman was a prostitute with a terrible reputation. Everyone at the party - including Simon, the host - knew exactly who she was and what she had done. Simon would never have allowed - much less invited this kind of woman to enter his home.

It was also common knowledge that when a Rabbi was invited to someone’s house, others could stop by and listen to the conversation. She was desperate. She came, knowing that everyone at the party would recognize her and judge her.

Don’t miss this truth! This woman’s desire to meet Jesus was greater than her pride.

She came openly - hiding nothing. She came just like she was, a sinful woman.

No pretense.

No hypocrisy.

Just authenticity.

She came with an honest heart.

What was the response of Jesus? It is really important that we zero in on this part of the story. Jesus met her at the point of brutal honesty. As a matter of fact, He was waiting for her to come. Jesus went to that party for several reasons.

He went to teach Simon Peter a lesson.

He went to share God’s truth with all who would be there.

He went – knowing that this sinful woman would come, seeking His love and His forgiveness. He knew everything about her, and still He came.

God’s love does not depend upon what we do or don’t do. We cannot earn His love by doing good works. We cannot be good enough by attending church every time the doors are open, singing on the worship team, teaching a Bible study, or … the list of good things is endless.

God loves us for one reason alone – He. Is. Love.

Just like He waited for this sinful woman to show up at Simon Peter’s home, He is waiting for us to come to Him – with open hearts, empty hands, and humble spirits.

We will never experience the full power of true worship until we are ready to honestly confront and deal with the sin in our lives. An honest heart pleases God and is invited to worship Him.

Like this woman, I am weary. I am so tired of lugging around this absurd collection of masks I have spent so many years accumulating.

I am no longer willing to waste energy trying to be someone God did not create me to be.

I really do want to be an honest woman. I want to become a woman that pleases God and makes Him smile.

Let’s Pray

Father, I confess that I do not truly understand what it means to worship You in the way that You desire, but I want to. I want to come into Your presence with complete honesty and transparency. My heart desire is to sit at Your feet and truly worship You. I lay down my pride and my arrogance, confessing that without You, I am nothing. I praise You and I love You, Father. Teach me what it means to worship You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Examine your life in the light of honesty.
Come before Him wrapped in that spiritual honesty.
Know that He always responds to an honest heart.
Refuse to fall back into old habits that would corrupt your newfound authenticity.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What sin(s) have I been hiding and refusing to face?
What action(s) will it take for me to deal with those sins honestly?
How does sin affect my ability to worship God?
Define honesty. Does your definition line up with God’s?

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