Living A Life Of Transparency!

This is something God has called me to do.
To live a life of transparency.

As I always say, I hope that whether I meet you in the supermarket, at Church or you come to my house, that I am the same person, day in and day out. What you see is what you get!

But sometimes social media can distort the truth and people can misunderstand your intentions.

I have been accused of being a snob.
I have been accused of bragging.
I have been accused of showing off.
I have been accused of being boastful.
I have been accused of gloating.

These accusations hurt. Some deeper than others, but still, they all hurt.
The last thing I have ever wanted to do is any of the above, that is definitely not who I am or what I am about!

And so I said to God at the start of this year that my love/hate relationship with social media is coming to an end. I am done with being misunderstood and accused of things I never intended. I am done and dusted. I quit.

As I sat in the quiet one morning and spent some precious time with God, He reminded me that He has called me to live life this way, and at the end of the day I am living my life for an audience of One. I am accountable to Him first and foremost for the way I live my life.

He reminded me of the people who are inspired by the way I live.
He reminded me of the people who have made life changes because of my transparency.
He reminded me of the people whose lives have been changed because of my honesty.
He reminded me that people are watching….always, and to not change who I am!

But really God, couldn’t I just fly under the radar for a while?

Then I went to Church on Sunday and I felt like the whole sermon was aimed at me (don’t you love how God does that?)
Acts 18:9 was quoted which reads:

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

And I just knew God was speaking directly to me. “Do not be silent. Do not let the enemy shut your mouth. Do not let the judgment of others change the way you live your life. I have called you to live a life of transparency, so do not let people dictate how you do that! Be strong, be open and most of all live life brave. Even if you live misunderstood”

As I sat and pondered all of this, I realized that I will be judged no matter what I do. There are people out there who will always take things the wrong way, they will interpret things differently than the way they were intended and they will never look for the best in you.

And so I carry on with my life and my posting on social media. I am happy if people unfollow or unfriend me if they don’t see the genuineness in what I am posting or misread my intentions.

But if I can inspire one person, just one, by the way I live my life, then all that judgment from others is worth it!

#lovemylife
#openbook
#livingalifeoftransparency
#livelifebrave
#blessed