So some words have been on my mind today: Honesty and sincerity. Particularly, I’ve thought about these words and how they pertain to my relationship with God as well as with others. Even if you don’t believe the same things I do, this applies to you, I promise.
There are a few Greek words I’d like to surface and define for you so just stick with me while I get through the dry stuff. “Sincere” in Greek is “eilikrinēs,” which Strong’s defines as “pure, wholesome.” Honest and honesty have different references, “kalos” and “semnotēs,” respectively. Kalos means “good, right; beautiful, fine, excellent” and semnotēs is defined as “holiness, seriousness, respect.” I am always amazed at the gravity with which Greek and Hebrew words carry. So much so that it takes multiple emotional English words to define them!
Let’s go back to how these Greek definitions actually apply to us. Fairly often, I think I come across as being peachy, having all my ducks in a row. I have to let you know where I am so you understand why these words have an impact on me. I think I’ve spent a whole lot of time trying to act and become an ideal. I’ve battled physical insecurities for a long time and it’s taken my stubborn self years to allow God to take control. I’ve covered up those insecurities by reducing myself to a bean pole then obsessing over exercise and nutrition. I’ve put up a tough girl, don’t-mess-with-me attitude that has caused me to refuse what could be wonderful relationships. I’m breaking those chains, but only because God revealed himself to me through an amazing group of friends who love me and assure me my worth is not determined by my physical attributes or my accomplishments. Thank y’all. So much. God is so good!
Eilikrinēs, kalos, and semnotēs mean so much to me because they don’t simply imply truth. They imply beauty, wholesomeness and respect among other things. Holy cow. Sometimes when I talk to God, I think I say, “Well God, I’m feeling this way but I know that’s not right, so don’t worry about it. I know I’m wrong or I know that’s foolish so I’m sorry. I’ll get over it.” I don’t think God wants us to hide those feelings from Him. We have those emotions for a reason, and who better to vent to than the one who understands us most? The fact that “beauty” is synonymous with “honesty” in Greek really hits home for me. There’s something virtuous, something beautiful about someone who will lay out his or her heart for you. No matter how embarrassed or ashamed we may be when we come before our friends, mentors or God, being honest and sincere washes away that shame and covers us with beauty. But how? It’s because of that unfailing love with which we are called to approach each other. There’s forgiveness in that love. Redemption. There is true beauty.
So maybe today’s blog is more for myself (there I go being selfish again). Whether you believe or not, I know in my heart of hearts God’s love will never fail any of us. He will always look past our physical imperfections and see the beauty of our sincere and broken hearts underneath our happy faces. When we are sincere, we are made pure, when we are honest, we are beautiful and when we approach our lives and our conversations with honesty, we earn respect. So yes, I wonder when I am finally going to be rid of my insecurities and allow God’s glory to fully take over my life. I’m working on it. I wonder how God will work through me to really show others his glory. I wonder how in the heck I’m going to use my experiences to brighten that light when it at one time was pretty weak. God doesn’t make us hurt, but he may allow us to experience pain and suffering because it helps us become more unique so we may hone our skills in order to better equip ourselves to His calling. We have a purpose, and I promise it’s a good one. I may have never been abused, sexually assaulted, adopted, etc., but someone has and that experience makes them uniquely fit to carry out God’s purpose for them. Even if you’re a male reading this, you are beautiful. So much so that God brags about us. Your heart may be broken, shattered even. But you, my friend, are beautiful and that is something worth celebrating.
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