I’m fine

Matthew West has a song out called “truth be told”. You should look up the lyrics. In the song it talks about how when someone asks us how we are doing we will give the standard answer. I’m fine. Never better. We really aren’t. I mean if we are being honest we seldom are doing fine. Oh life is good mostly but I can’t think of a time that I’m not struggling with at least a sin or two. Maybe health issues or relationship stuff going on. I mean life is hard and I know I’m not the only one right? Truth be told. But we don’t tell the truth. Why is it so hard to tell someone that life isn’t perfect? That I have issues and need prayer? We have gotten so used to the standard answers that if you ask someone how they are doing and they did tell you they were having trouble we wouldn’t know how to handle it. Tell the truth. If you ask someone how they are doing and they really told you would you care or do you ask as a formality without really wanting to know? I’m guilty of that too. Truth is we have problems we don’t want people to know and we don’t want to know peoples problems. James 5:13-16 “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Okay so James, the brother of Jesus , wasn’t one to mince words. He tells it like it is. In this passage it is clear that when we communicate with each other as believers in Christ we are to be honest. If we are happy say so. If we are sick say so. If we have a battle with a sin say so. Then we can heal through the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ and also offer prayers for them. Why is this so hard to do? Going into the new year maybe we should make an effort to tell the truth to each other and if we ask someone and they do tell the truth love them enough to listen and then pray for them. Maybe life would be better this way. Dear God, help us to let go of our pride. Help us to be honest about ourselves to each other and to love each other through our weaknesses!!