The Freedom of Honest Faith
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. — Psalm 137:1
Somewhere along the way, a lot of us picked up this idea that we need to clean ourselves up before we can really bring our hearts to God. Like we need to fix our attitude first, calm our emotions, smooth out the rough edges, and then show up with a smile. But if that were true, Psalm 137 wouldn’t exist.
Psalm 137 opens with raw, unfiltered grief. The Israelites weren’t holding anything back. Their city had been destroyed. Families ripped apart. Everything they knew was gone. And right there in Scripture, they say what they really feel. Not what’s polished or cleaned up. Not what’s safe for public prayer. But real, gut-level pain.
And God lets it stand. He doesn’t erase it. He doesn’t strike them down for their words. He meets them in it.
That tells me something about the kind of relationship God actually wants from us. Not a cleaned-up performance. Not a church-face version of faith. But honest, raw, "this is where I really am" kind of relationship.
If you’re walking around trying to manage your emotions on your own, trying to only show God the parts of your heart that feel acceptable, let me be honest with you: You are carrying a weight you were never meant to carry. The invitation is simple. Come as you are. Bring the real stuff. That’s where healing starts.
Reflection Question
What part of your heart have you been keeping from God because it felt too raw, too messy, or too much? How might it feel to lay that down in front of Him today?
The Bible isn’t a book full of filtered prayers and polished emotions. It’s the record of a holy God who steps into the wreckage of real human hearts. He doesn’t get put off by our pain. He steps into it and meets us there.
Prayer
Father, You already know what’s really going on in my heart. Forgive me for thinking I needed to hide it from You. Help me stop putting on a mask with You. Teach me how to bring my whole self before You — the joy and the hurt, the hope and the frustration. Thank You for meeting me in the middle of it all. Amen.
Somewhere along the way, a lot of us picked up this idea that we need to clean ourselves up before we can really bring our hearts to God. Like we need to fix our attitude first, calm our emotions, smooth out the rough edges, and then show up with a smile. But if that were true, Psalm 137 wouldn’t exist.
Psalm 137 opens with raw, unfiltered grief. The Israelites weren’t holding anything back. Their city had been destroyed. Families ripped apart. Everything they knew was gone. And right there in Scripture, they say what they really feel. Not what’s polished or cleaned up. Not what’s safe for public prayer. But real, gut-level pain.
And God lets it stand. He doesn’t erase it. He doesn’t strike them down for their words. He meets them in it.
That tells me something about the kind of relationship God actually wants from us. Not a cleaned-up performance. Not a church-face version of faith. But honest, raw, "this is where I really am" kind of relationship.
If you’re walking around trying to manage your emotions on your own, trying to only show God the parts of your heart that feel acceptable, let me be honest with you: You are carrying a weight you were never meant to carry. The invitation is simple. Come as you are. Bring the real stuff. That’s where healing starts.
Reflection Question
What part of your heart have you been keeping from God because it felt too raw, too messy, or too much? How might it feel to lay that down in front of Him today?
The Bible isn’t a book full of filtered prayers and polished emotions. It’s the record of a holy God who steps into the wreckage of real human hearts. He doesn’t get put off by our pain. He steps into it and meets us there.
Prayer
Father, You already know what’s really going on in my heart. Forgive me for thinking I needed to hide it from You. Help me stop putting on a mask with You. Teach me how to bring my whole self before You — the joy and the hurt, the hope and the frustration. Thank You for meeting me in the middle of it all. Amen.
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