Edit away

^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.  I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.  You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight.  You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence.  I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going.  This is too much, too wonderful—I can't take it all in! 

(Psalm 139:1-6)

Without reservation, most of us would admit that there are "chapters" in our lives that we'd like no one to read.  We have some failures we'd rather no one really knew about, dreams that seem kind of silly when considered by others, and problems with memories that we just cannot seem to let loose of no matter how hard we try.  These "pages" of our lives are inscribed through the passage of time and the events of the days gone by.  David does what most people don't have the guts to do - he invites God to investigate his life - to read those "hidden chapters" like they were an open book.  He is not wanting God to get second-hand knowledge of his actions, attitudes, or attributes - he wants it to be first-hand.  

Learning to live life as an "open book" is scary.  As long as the less desirable "chapters" of our lives can be "edited out", we are okay with letting others "read us".  We'd like the "editing" rights to our lives - but that is not our job!  At best, we are second-rate writers - so how do we expect to be first-rate editors?  There is only one editor that will do the job right the first time - that is Jesus Christ.

Why is it that we resist the "editing" work of Christ in our lives?  It could be because we have some element of shame attached to those hidden chapters - having done things we are not at all proud of now.  It could be that we have secret aspirations that we have held for years, all the while too fearful to share them because we have listened to the lies of others that tell us that we will never amount to much.  Or still, it could be that we just don't think we've done well in the "writing" of our lives and we don't believe there is much contained in the "chapters" that anyone would benefit from "reading".

Here's the honest truth - your life is filled with things that bring you shame, but Christ has the ability and desire to edit those pages so the shame is no longer there.  Your life's dreams matter and Christ desires to make dreams a reality.  Your life may not be monumental in the eyes of others, but in his sight, it is magnificent.  

Learning to live life as an open book is indeed difficult, but it is equally as rewarding.  Isn't it time to allow the "editing" work of the hand of Christ in your life?