Every Sunday people get up… get in their cars… and go to church.  Along the way they mull over a variety of things like:

Their marriage is in serious trouble and/or…

Their financial condition is tenuous at best and/or…

Their children are wayward and/or…

There might be layoffs at work and/or…

There are decisions to make about aging parents and/or…

Their spouse’s health is crashing and/or…

Their own health is crashing and/or…

The dreams of their youth didn’t materialize and/or…

Etc., etc., etc., etc.,

But when they get out of the car in the church parking lot, they put on a smile… and answer to everyone who asks “How are things going?”… “God is good!”  (Pause)  And inside they plead to God… “please help me…”  Even with our friends we tend to hold a lot back concerning what we are really dealing with.

Why do we all do that?  Why do we put on the mask of normalcy when what we should do is find someone… preferably someone of spiritual maturity… and ask them to pray diligently.  Why don’t we ask our Sunday School class to pray for us… specifically?  Is it because we’re afraid of what people will think and/or say about us?  Are we afraid of losing our reputation?  Are we afraid of people knowing just how scared we really are?

What happened to “bear one another’s burdens?”  What happened to “weep with those who weep?”  What happened to “‘confess your sins one to another?”

Maybe this Sunday I might get up the courage… or have the freedom… to be honest and transparent about just how weak I really am.  And who knows… maybe then I’ll be given strength!  (“When I am weak, THEN I am strong…”)