The Song of Solomon 1:5 says, “I am dark but lovely.” Many Christians have a difficult time living a transparent life before God. They are afraid that if they are honest before Him they will somehow experience rejection, so they live hidden, unrepentant lives. It’s so sad to see this, because without transparency, and repentance you can’t know the daily cleansing and healing that are necessary to enjoy being a New Creation. Newness of life, that flows like a river every day, doesn’t flow because God discovers our sin, but because we are honest about our sin. Verses like the one above reminds us that God’s great love for us isn’t based on our being perfect, but instead is a passionate commitment with a clear, prior knowledge of our imperfections. Knowing God seeing us as lovely, though dark, doesn’t encourage us to irresponsibly sin, but encourages us to come boldly before Him when we do sin, without the fear of rejection. We can be transparent before Him, knowing that we are going to be confronted with His tenderness and affection, so that He can cleanse, heal, and correct where needed. Get Real, It promotes life. Hiding takes up too much energy.
