When you study transparency, you will find the healthiest relationships are ones rooted in transparency. Some say it is likened to the glue that keeps a relationship bonded together. Transparency is the ability to see clearly into one another. The responsibility for how the information is received is in the hands of the listener. Healing and bonding come when the listener positions themselves to understand the feelings and emotions of the other person. Disconnection comes when they do not listen or put up a fight for their own right.
When I was looking up the opposite of transparency, I found an interesting and revelatory meaning. It stated, “The state or quality of not allowing light to pass through.” Biblically, light represents God himself, His truth, and revelation. When we do not allow God’s light to come into our circumstances and our thoughts, we are often left hostage to shame and lies that cause isolation and hiddenness. There is no light in hiddenness, it is a dark festering place, that eventually suffocates the life out of you. Transparency dispels darkness, and shame, and normalizes humanity. Transparency is a gateway to deeply connected relationships and one of the most powerful healing agents.
I love facilitating group coaching because I see the healing power of transparency. There is an incredible transformation that takes place in a room full of others where you are fully seen, fully heard, and fully accepted through hearts of compassion. What we think is messy, unlovable, and unacceptable, becomes an opportunity to be loved into wholeness. We shift from shame to self-compassion, and this is a game-changer for all of us!
Transparency is the best thing that ever happened to me. I spent most of my life hidden and in shame since I was a very young girl. It was not until I let the light of Christ in that I began my journey of freedom. The shackles really came off when I began to share my story to be told amongst others and allowed others to love me. I aim to be a storyteller each day! One who shares my testimony, my victories, my current struggles, fears that try to haunt me, and my dreams, and aspirations for the future. I prefer living a life where I let the light in and allow it to shine through me.
If you intentionally practice transparency, I applaud you and encourage you to keep going. You are healing and being a healing agent for others. Sometimes you will never realize what your stories will do for others. If you struggle with transparency, that is ok, and there is no shame because of it. However, choose to not stay hidden, choose to come out. Start with allowing the Father to let his light in! His truth, revelation, and love will set you free. When we ask Father God for His perspective, we cannot help but be encouraged and transformed, out of darkness into His light. Lastly, practice sharing with safe people, and if you do not have safe people, pray for it! Don’t wait for your tribe to find you, meet in the middle!
I pray grace and strength as you step out and LET THE LIGHT IN!
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Take Courage Ministries
Featured Image by jplenio from Pixabay
