Are You Hiding Secrets?

Secrets rarely stay secret forever.

In the aftermath of Prince’s death, some pretty ugly rumors have surfaced.
Just like they did when Elvis died and when Michael Jackson died.
The very private lives of the deceased are no longer sacred.

The same is true of us.

When we die,
the hidden things will get exposed.

Our journals,
Our dresser drawers,
Our computer history,
Our credit card balances,
Every corner of every closet will be exposed.

Loved ones and strangers will sift and sort and dig and
ultimately judge us by the contents of our treasures and our trash.

I know this because I have been the one to sift and sort through the
 stacks and shelves of dead men’s things.  

I have buried many who were close to me.

They all left behind stuff that tells a story about the way they lived.
The choices they made.
The secrets they kept.

There were some amusing surprises.
The racks inside my mom’s stove were still bound up in the original packaging. 
She had never turned on her oven!

There were some pleasant discoveries.
A love letter I’d written to my husband decades earlier
was tucked in the recesses of his wallet.

 There were some expected findings.
Boxes and boxes of photos documenting a life journey.
Wedding dresses and pressed flowers.
 A high school letterman’s jacket, stiff with age, laden with medals.
A reminder of glory days.

There were some ugly discoveries.
Overwhelming credit card balances and girly magazines surfaced.

Secrets rarely stay secret forever.

It can be a little scary, can’t it?

What will be found when your office is emptied and your computer is scanned?
What secrets will be found when your family rummages through your belongings?
What discoveries will be made when your bills are paid off and your accounts are settled?

It’s so important to make choices you can live with
because
they last long after you die.

 

Your legacy will be determined by how you live now.

The body of work you create in the days on this earth 
could be overshadowed by the
choices you make in the dark.

Break attachments with that which will kill.
Choose to discard that which steals.
Refuse to continue that which will destroy.

Don’t betray a lifetime of encouragement and good works
with a secret that will overtake your legacy and impugn your reputation.

The legacy you leave starts with the
decisions you make today.

How do you bring secrets out of the dark?

1.

Confess it to God.
Repent (change your mind about the way you think about the secret)
Ask for forgiveness.

2.

Take responsibility for your actions.
Seek help from a friend, pastor or counselor.
Beg for self-control and a solution for restoration.

3.

Be accountable for your behavior.
Develop an action plan to keep you safe and begin the restoration.
Share your journey and your victory in safe groups.

4.

Praise God for the new legacy He is creating for you.

 You don’t have to live in fear of being found out.

By making different decisions now, and dealing with the secrets now,
you can guarantee
your legacy and reputation will be intact
for as long as you live
and beyond.

 

Scripture Refresher:  I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. 
Acts 24:16 NIV

Prayer: Father, Create in me a clean heart. Let me work with clean hands. Guide me to keep a clear conscience.  I want to represent you well and leave a legacy of grace and righteousness.  Help me to follow you all the days of my life so that I can leave this life unashamed.