Week 5 - Receiving Love - Day 22 - Tuesday

By Michael Bischof
We talk a lot about being honest with ourselves and with God. And we sincerely – sometimes desperately – try to do this in our times of Bible reading and prayer. But the kind of honesty and self-knowledge, which will bring about lasting changes in our lives almost always requires another person. It is when we disclose our true, private selves to someone else that we fully come to know ourselves for real. Down deep we may dimly perceive the truth about our real selves, yet we go on denying or covering it with our superselves – even in prayer. However, once we have actually put the truth into words and shared with another, it becomes increasingly difficult to continue deceiving ourselves.
[David A. Seamands, Healing Grace (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1988), 180.]

What happiness, what security, what joy to have someone to whom you dare to speak on terms of equality as to another self; one to whom you can unblushingly make known what progress you have made in the spiritual life; one to whom you can entrust all the secrets of your heart and before whom you can place all your plans. Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1166)

Scripture:
• Read and meditate on Proverbs 27:17;
John 15:15; John 16:12-15.

Reflection:
• Who do you talk to about your spiritual life? How has a discerning, encouraging, and challenging friend helped you in your journey? If you have not experienced this, why? Do you tend not to be vulnerable in front of others?

Practice:
• Find a friend and commit to meeting at a neutral location where the two of you will spend several hours in solitude, silence, and prayer. Then at the end of this time, meet together to debrief and discuss how you sensed God working in your life. Or, find a friend to meet for lunch once or twice a month where a certain amount of time (e.g. an hour) is committed to discussing how each of you is sensing God work in your life.