Five Minute Friday: Bare

Joining up with Lisa Jo Baker on Five Minute Friday to simply write, unscripted for five minutes on a simple word. This week: bare.


In this world of façades and masks, I try to live bare.

I don't do it because I like it. It's hard to live fully exposed. It's hard to admit my struggles, doubts, fears, failures as a wife, mom, missionary.

It's safe behind a mask of good. 

Good Christian. Good wife. Good mom.

But the world has enough masks. There are plenty of Christians trying to make this thing look easy so that they can pridefully impress the world. 

I know. I've been there. 

But being bare is where it's at. Exposing our fears and failures because that's when Christ is glorified. That's when His light shines bright and the world sees hope and help for their hopelessness and helplessness.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." -2 Corinthians 12.9

So even when it's hard, I write unscripted. I allow my heart to be bare because that's what I need. That's what the world needs to see. That there isn't a standard to meet because Christ already met it. And we are free indeed. 

It is my duty to be transparent if I want the world to know the hope that I know. 

So while so many paint on their smile and hide behind that checklist Christianity, I choose to be bare so that others can see that this thing called Christianity isn't about a set of rules. It's about a God who became bare on a cross so that we could be free to glorify Him despite our weakness.

That's where true hope lives.