My title for this devotion is Closed vs Open Book.

Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”

Jesus once said, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Mt.15:11) A few verses later He said, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (18-20a).

It’s not easy being an open book. Even though these verses show us that virtually we are, we do our best to cover up, we do our best to close up shop.

Transparency is not an easy thing to do or be. I tend to be a bit more open than I should sometimes because that is my personality. But, all in all, we try to guard as much as we can from seeing the light of day and the light of peoples’ eyes. Why? Because being transparent makes us vulnerable. It sort of lays us open before people. It says, “Here I am people!” It’s almost like the old saying, “What you see is what you get.” While that originally was often an “excuse” for “Here I am. If you don’t like it…tough!” it can be used as words for transparency. Chuck Swindoll once wrote,

Vulnerability means being willing to express personal needs, admitting one’s limitation or failures, having a teachable spirit, and especially being reluctant to appear the expert, the one with all the answers, the final voice of authority. (“Good Morning, Lord”…p.26)

I must choose to be transparent, to be vulnerable (for the right reasons). In reality, it’s being honest with who I am, with whom God sees. Besides, who am I trying to kid?  My mouth lets people know anyway.

“Father, to you I’m an open book. You see into the deep recesses of my heart. Help me to be ‘real’ to people, not a fake. Let them see me as being honest and truthful, not hiding things away.”