 I never catch my students passing notes. With FaceTime, Instagram, Tik Tok and a bunch of other new social media apps that I’m not familiar with, I don’t even see kids texting each other. They take selfies or video-call each other. When I was in high school, I remember folding up notes and passing them to my friends. Trying not to let the teacher catch us was like a game with (what felt like) serious consequences. Teachers back then had no shame in threatening to read your note aloud, even if they never actually did. The trick was never writing anything too risky in case it was seen by someone you didn’t intend. But the thrill was writing a note with a secret just risky enough that you didn’t want anyone else to see it. You might be way better than me, but that’s how I feel about the application part of my personal Bible studies. I never want to write anything too secretive - maybe something good enough that I could post on social media or show it to a friend if I felt like it…maybe even just skip the application part altogether and fill that space with more historical facts or commentary notes. Writing a secret would involve exposing myself or digging too deep into my soul that I hit the mess that is my sin. Reading scripture is great, but applying scripture can be scary. Having the Holy Spirit draw out areas in your life that need changing means shining a mirror on the ugliest parts of ourselves; it does not give us the dopamine fix that “likes” or “views” on our social media posts give us. So, should we unleash our innermost guilt and shame by posting the work of the Holy Spirit in us on our social media platforms? I mean, how can we overcome and conquer our sin if we are ashamed and hiding? Dig it out! Throw it on the lawn! Transparency is always the best! No. What I am saying is that your Bible studies should be like notes that you don’t want anyone but your most trusted friends to see. You can write transparent and growth-focused scripture application notes without posting them for the world. 1) We should expect some “tough love” and conviction when applying scripture to thoughts and actions to be more like Jesus. Personal time with God means intimate time with the Lord; there is no hiding. We can expect some pain and heartache from the Holy Spirit drawing attention to places our sin and guilt have been shying away. What comes naturally with this is that, first, you must be applying scripture to your life. I have spent a lot of time learning how to study the Bible, and I still don’t have it all figured out! But the best advice I have ever read or received from those wiser than me is to make sure that I am reading to know God rather than to know about God (Hebrews 4:12-13; Acts 3:19-21). In my previous blog post, I talk about Bible study basics and understanding that when you read scripture, you are actually reading with God and not just about Him (John 1:1). Our sinful nature is to hide our mess and resist the light of the Lord shining on our darkness parts.  2) We should guard our hearts and be wise with who we share our sin struggles. Social media is not the place to air out our dirty laundry. God - the Creator of me, you, and all the universe - sees all of me, even before I might even see myself. So I pray to Him and ask for help in seeing myself the way He sees me. Second to that is my husband, who sees all my sin and ugliness. Richard is my best friend, my soulmate, my accountability, and my encourager. He was ordained by the Lord to call out my sin when we took our vows on our wedding day. Third are my mentors, pastors, and closest, most trusted friends whom I choose to share my sin with (Proverbs 28:13; James 5:16). Beyond that, the world does not need to know my deepest sin struggles. Hiding your sin from everyone is an absolute recipe for disaster, but God never calls us to tattoo the sinful desires of our heart on our forehead or screen print it on a t-shirt.
Do you frantically clean your house when you have guests coming over? Same here. But do you have a few close friends or family that you don’t frantically clean for? I hope you do! When my husband and I get asked to come over for dinner by members of our church, their houses are usually spotless. But when they have a loved one in hospice care in their home, their houses are usually a wreck. They don’t care and we don’t care about the mess; they’re going through one of the hardest times of their life. The depths of your soul are not an open living room you need to keep spotless for guests. It’s your hospital bed where the greatest Healer (the Holy Spirit) and His appointed physicians (elders/pastors, close friends, and mentors in your life) can find you. Remember this: reading and applying scripture is intimate time with the Lord. We don’t want others to see it, and that is okay. I hope this gives you permission to be free in writing/journaling and in your thoughts in a way that draws you closer to the Lord. Here are some fantastic resources on studying the bible and applying scripture:
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