Latest / Jo Watson: Unfiltered Faith / The Courage to Be Real: When Hiding Starts Hurting
Transcript
- The Courage to be Real: Welcome back to Unfiltered Faith. I'm Joe Watson, and it's time to breathe. Time to slow down. Time to let your shoulders drop, and time to step into the sanctuary. Not the sanctuary that we're all so familiar with, but the one that God is building inside you. Today, we're stepping into a conversation that touches the deepest. Part of the human heart. The fear of being seen. So many people live behind masks, smiling in rooms where their souls are breaking, laughing at jokes that wound them, pretending to fit in when their spirit is crying out for freedom. But here's the truth. You cannot heal while you're hiding, and you cannot walk in purpose while you're pretending. Today we're going to talk about what it means to stop living a lie and to start living in the truth of who God says you are. A listener wrote in with a letter that I believe. Speaks to the silent struggle of so many hearts. Let's listen not just with our ears, but let's listen with compassion. Here is what our listener wrote. Dear unfiltered faith, I've been living a lie. I'm afraid to tell people who I really am. Because I'm afraid I will be judged by them. So I sit with them in social circles. I laugh at the jokes they tell. Some of them even refer to who I am. But I don't have the courage to speak up. I guess it's really because I'm afraid to be honest with myself. I know it's no way to live, but I don't want to risk what I what others will say about me. It's a terrible way to live and it's affecting my health and my ability to have friends. Please help me signed Just Want to Be Free To Live. First, thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your words that carry the weight of someone who's tired of pretending. And that's the first step toward freedom. Let me say this clearly. You are not alone. You are not broken. You are becoming. The fear of being judged is real, but it's not stronger than the truth of who God made you to be. John chapter eight verse thirty two says Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Freedom doesn't start when people accept you. It starts when you accept yourself in God. You said I'm afraid to be honest with myself. That's where healing begins in honesty. Because God can't heal what we hide. Psalm chapter fifty one verse six says, Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being. God delights in your truth, not in your performance. And here's the beautiful part. When you stop pretending, you give others permission to be real too. To everyone listening, maybe you've been living small, afraid to show the real you. Maybe you've been editing your story to fit someone else's comfort zone. But hear me when I say. God didn't design you for small vibes. He designed you for authenticity. Genesis chapter one, verse twenty-seven through twenty-eight says, You were created in his image, blessed, called, and commissioned to be fruitful and multiplied. That means your life was meant to expand. Not to shrink. And if you've been living a lie, it's time to trade the mask for mercy. Because God's grace doesn't meet the version of you that you pretend to be, it meets the version of you that you really are. Let me give you three truths that you can hold on to. Number one, God Values truth over image. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 25 says, Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully. Truth is not weakness, it's worship. Number two, fear of judgment is a trap. Proverbs chapter 29, verse 25 says. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. You don't owe anyone a version of yourself that God didn't create. Number three, healing begins with confession. James chapter 5, verse 16 says, Confess your sins to one another. And pray for one another that you may be healed. Honesty opens the door to healing. I want to stop right here and pray for anyone who has been living a lie. For anyone who has been too afraid to be who they are, because maybe they were told they weren't. Good enough, or maybe they had something in their life that made them afraid they would not be accepted by those around them. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up every listener who has been living behind a mask. You see the parts of them they've been afraid to show. You see the tears behind the laughter. You see the exhaustion behind the pretending. Today, give them courage to be real. Give them peace to be honest. Give them strength to walk in truth. Let them know that your love is not conditional. It's complete. Heal the places where shame has. Silence them and remind them that freedom is found in your presence. In Jesus' name. Amen. To someone listening today, you will no longer live a lie. You will no longer hide your truth. You will no longer shrink to fit someone else's comfort. God is calling you out of hiding. He is restoring your voice. He is awakening your identity. And the fear of judgment is breaking off of your life permanently. Thank you for joining me today on Unfiltered Faith. If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who's been living behind a mask. Someone who's ready to be free. And remember this you don't have to be perfect to be real. You just have to be honest to be healed. You were created by God, and that is enough. I'll see you in the next episode. And if you're listening right now and something in your heart is stirring, if you feel that gentle pull, that quiet whisper, that sense that God is reaching for you, I know you know this. Jesus is not waiting for you to be perfect. He is waiting for you to be willing. He sees you, He knows you, He loves you fully, deeply, and without condition. So if you've never given your life to Christ, or if you've walked away and you're wondering if you can come home, the answer is yes. You can come home today. You can pray this right where you are. Say, Jesus, I need you. I've tried to carry life on my own, and I can't do it anymore. I believe you love me, you died for me, and you rose again for me. Come into my life. Heal me. Forgive me. And teach me how to walk with you. I give you my heart today. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, I want to welcome you into the family of God. And I want to encourage you to find a church where you can grow, learn, and be surrounded by people who will walk with you. You don't have to know everything. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just need a place where you can be taught, loved, and discipled. There is a community waiting to embrace you. And there is a savior who will never let you go. And there is a journey ahead of you that will change your life forever. Ever. If you are carrying a weight that feels too heavy to hold, please remember that this podcast is not a substitute for professional therapy or pastoral care. Reach out. Get the support you need because you deserve that kind of care. And if you would like to send in a question or share a story with unfiltered faith, You can reach us at Joe at Unfiltered Faith Pod dot com. We would love to hear from you. Your testimonies and your experiences matter. They help others grow, they encourage weary hearts, and they draw people close to Jesus. Until next time, Family Unfiltered Faith, God is moving and So stay ready, and to God be the glory.