Dirty Secrets

Do you have a “Dirty Little Secret?”

Many people do. But to do the equivalent of spring-cleaning in your soul you must first admit your life is not “as pure as the driven snow.”

I’m always amused to hear someone say, “Deep down inside, everyone is basically good.” As much as we’d like to believe it, all the evidence points to the contrary.

We can tell what we’re really like by two things: 1) What we think about when we’re all alone and 2) What we do (or would do) if no one is watching and we don’t think we’ll be caught.

A T-shirt I saw on a young student perfectly describes the attitude that drives this behavior. It proclaimed, “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught.”

Evil behavior is fast becoming a standard on the Internet. Web sites across the Internet are flooded with vicious and slanderous comments. People are attacked for their looks, their weight, their opinions and their behavior. Civility has all but disappeared.

An AP news story observed, “The Internet—and the anonymity it affords—has given a public stage to people’s basest thoughts, ones that in earlier eras likely never would have traveled past the water cooler, the kitchen table or the next barstool.”

Notice that the Internet doesn’t make our behavior worse--it just allows what we already are to be more public. It provides the cover human nature needs to “rear its ugly head.”

Communication experts are at a loss to explain “the rowdy Wild West situation” that anonymity provides “with no one to filter it.” So far the only solution has been to take down the message boards that give offenders a forum.

The Apostle James in the New Testament of the Bible got it right when he said, “The tongue is…a world of evil…and is itself set on fire by hell.”

Jesus went further when he pointed out the source of our words. He said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” And “the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Later he added, “No one is good—except God alone.”

Ouch! The truth hurts.

It would be easy to become a cynic about the human race--and many have. It looks hopeless.

But--hold on just a minute! There is good news. God can change the human heart. He can take what is corrupt and make it clean. In fact that’s one of the reasons for the Bible. It shows us real people whose lives God changed for the better. No one is beyond God’s help.

One of the worst was Saul who became the Apostle Paul. He was full of hatred and, by his own admission, a murderer. God changed him from a killer of Christians into a planter of churches. Read his story in the Bible book called The Acts of the Apostles, chapters 22 to 26.

Are you sick and tired of covering up who you really are? The message of the Bible is that God knows our hearts and he still loves us. He offers to forgive us and clean us up from the inside out. Forget about turning over a “new leaf.” God offers a whole new life.

The Bible says Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. The solution begins with a prayer of confession--calling on Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior--and it ends with a “clean slate.” God offers to take away your guilt and give you a fresh start.

Jesus called it being “born again.” It’s starting a whole new life as God’s child.

Does your soul need a spring-cleaning? God is up to the job if you give him a chance.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!