Inner Dialogue

"It is only as we become more open about our lives that we experience real fellowship. The Bible says, 'If we live in the light, we can share fellowship with each other... If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves.' The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. Darkness is used to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again. Why would anyone take such a risk? Because it is the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says 'Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.' We only grow by taking risks, and the most difficult risk of all is to be honest with ourselves and with others."

~ Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life