Transparent-capable of transmitting light so that objects or images can be seen as if there were no intervening material. This is the common definition of transparent found in your household dictionary. The goal of this blog is to be transparent to God through being open and honest, even though He knows everything, its my way of hiding nothing from him. By being transparent to God my hope is that I can be transparent to those around me about who I am and what I stand for. But unfortunately that has been harder than I expected. I've been what I like to call a chameleon, blending into whatever environment I'm in.
A few weeks ago I was at a game night with a big group of friends, including a small group of guys that I'm planning on asking to be in a small group. Well in the midst of the fun and fellowship, the topic of alcohol got brought up and stories were shared; well I began to share some stories about getting drunk, but the thing was I was telling them more as bragging rather than something I'm not proud of. The truth is I'm not proud of those nights that I can honestly count on one hand, but there I was boasting about them. Here was a moment that I could of used to be transparent but instead I was caught up in the moment of story telling and was very opaque (impenetrable to light). I look back at this instance with disappointment, I mean its one thing to mess up and realize it but its a whole different story when you mess up and boast about it to others.
Recently I started working at Lowes in the Lawn and Garden Department, something that I really enjoy. There is a wide variety of people who I work with, many of which aren't Christian, which would be an opportunity for me to be transparent to. There are a couple of guys that I've become pretty close to, while working out in the loading area; two guys who tend to use pretty vulgar language and tell pretty fabricated stories as a way to take out frustration and to pass the time. Well I've found myself blending in with these guys, in a sense acting like them or "going into chameleon mode" to fit in. Well it really didn't dawn on me till I overheard one of the guys talking to one of our new employees about me. He referred to me as a party animal and that's when it hit me, was that how I was projecting myself? I mean I know its not true but my actions and stories spoke otherwise to these guys.
Well I want to make it known that no longer will I just be transparent on paper and blog, but its time to start living transparently. This is something that makes me fairly uncomfortable but hey, so did starting a blog for others to read. Recently God place a verse in my life, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." This really hit me like Norris roundhouse kick to the face. It's time for me to step up and stop acting like the Simon (Peter) who denied Christ three times and start acting like Peter (The Rock) and be the rock God has planned for me to be. In order to do this I need to stop seeking the approval of man and live for the glory of God in everything I do. So my daily prayer has been Colossians 3:23, in everything I do, do it to glorify God not to please man. As a simple reminder to me everyday I've been writing the verse on my wrist as accountability to myself, to live for God and not man.
