Joy Full // Hide and Seek

Kyle Kauffman | May 08 2022 We are prone to put the best version of ourselves forward for others to see. We all want to appear as though we have it together and don’t struggle with sin. We don’t want to appear weak or broken before other people. This leads us to hide and cover up the areas of our lives we don’t want other people to see. It leads us to perform and act as if we are better than we really are. And this leads us to look down on others who we judge are weak and too sinful. But while we may appear joyful on the outside when we do this, we are miserable on the inside. We fear being exposed, we are exhausted by our performance, and we are dominated by cynical and critical attitudes. But when we bring our sin, our struggles, our doubts, and our weakness into the light, we find great joy. We find joy in knowing that we are loved despite our sin. We find support in others who can pray for us and encourage us. We feel less alone in our struggles with sin. We get a fresh taste of God’s grace and forgiveness. And we become transformed into compassionate and gracious people to others around us.