Secrets Make You Sick

In a world that demands perfection do you find yourself afraid to share what is really going on in your life?  If people really knew would you be rejected, abandoned, or isolated?  Do you feel that you are safe as long as no one knows?  

 Secrets are a very dangerous thing.  Secrets make you sick.  The longer you keep the secret the sicker you become. They make you sick spirit, soul, and body.  They bring destruction to you and maybe later to those around you.  Not only do they destroy your relationships, marriage, and friendships, they destroy your heart.  What starts with hiding things from people leads to hiding from those closest to you and then ultimately believing that you can hide it from God. Unfortunately, we cannot hide from God.  He sees all and knows all.  He also forgives all and brings healing and restoration.  

While you should never tell everyone, you need to tell someone.  Healing comes when you have the courage to share your secret with someone.  “Confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”  James 5:16 (NLT) The biggest secrets we keep are those that have the potential to or have hurt us deeply or hurt those we love.  Shame and guilt are the two biggest reasons we choose to hide.  Shame and guilt are the chains that keep us bound to our secrets.  This is often followed by shame and guilt’s cousins, rejection and abandonment.  These chains never just remain loosely around you, they always tighten their grip until you are completely bound.  In this place, you begin to believe there is no way out, and it is often at this point suicide may become something you consider as a real option.  You can suffer in silence, but you can never heal in silence.  

What should you do if you find yourself in this situation?  First, allow yourself to begin to believe that there is hope.  Give yourself the freedom to begin to believe that there is help.  Recognize that even in your worst secret there is a road out and path to freedom.  Choose to be brave enough to tell someone.  Again, you don’t need to tell everyone, but you MUST tell someone.  The power of the secret is strong, but you are stronger.  There is always a way out.  While there may be some consequences if your secret has caused damage to someone else, there is still great freedom in telling someone.  The fear of the consequences is almost always worse than the consequences.  The freedom you find in your heart and life are so powerful.  Also, recognize that sharing your secret is just the beginning.  Learning to live a life of freedom from the chains that your secret created is a process.  Stay in the process.  At times, the process can be difficult and painful but oh it is so worth it.  Freedom is such a wonderful place to live.  

Take courage my friend, one day you will tell your story and it won’t hurt anymore and you will know that you are healed and free.  That day will come, you just need to begin by telling someone that one thing you have been hiding.  You can do it.  You are brave! More importantly, God is faithful.