Pretty Dark
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
We are women. We like pretty: a pretty face, a pretty dress, a pretty picture, a pretty marriage, a pretty child.
If something isn’t pretty, we try to make it pretty. We wear make-up or add accessories. We change the picture or make up stories about the marriage, or just don’t talk about the child.
We find a way to make things look as good as we possibly can.
The truth is, that the truth is not always as pretty as we want it to be, so we do whatever we can to make it look better.
A woman can do many things to change her appearance and it doesn’t lead to any harm. But…when we ignore the truth or make up stories about a difficult marriage or a wayward child, we create bigger problems for ourselves.
A lady recently told me that she just didn’t talk about her marriage because it was so bad. She was afraid of what people would think about her, about her husband, and about her faith.
After twenty nine years of silence, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She went to a trusted Pastor. It wasn’t until others saw that things were not so pretty that she got wise advice about how to change things. She learned the truth of the scriptures that she was not expected to let her husband sin against her repeatedly, with no consequences.
She said the truth truly set her free!
1 Peter 3:7 says, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Jesus is the Light of the world. In this world He did not, and does not, promise that there will no darkness. He promises to be the Light that shines on the way we are to go through the darkness. It was a godly man who knew the scriptures who was able to teach the truth this woman needed.
There are many people in pain because they refuse to bring their circumstances to the Light. Many of these same people pray to God, asking Him to free them from the darkness, while they refuse to tell the very people who God might use to help them.
Sadly, some go for help and learn that there is no help there. I suggest trying someone else, preferably a godly man with true knowledge of the scriptures. When we take our “dark” issues to another person who just wants things to look pretty, they will find another way to sugarcoat the problem.
Jesus is Light, not sugar. He is the Giver of peace, joy, and love.
If your situation is filled with anger, bitterness, and strife His Word is the Way out.
Consider my acquaintance: With twenty-nine years of strife in her marriage she has been set free by the truth. The truth will also set you free.
Ephesians 5:11 instructs us, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
Do we take part in evil when we refuse to expose it? If we are the only ones who know about it, how can we expect someone else to shine the Light on it?