“ The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them. ” ~ Rachel Maddow
When you first read the title of this devotional, what were your initial thoughts? That this devotional was about people from the LBGTQ+ community coming out of the closet? Or, that possibly you were about to learn some juicy secret about the author? Coming out of the closet isn’t about being queer; it’s about revealing the true you to the world. A better question to ask is, why are we in the closet in the first place? Is what others think, say, or do so powerful that we are willing to serve a life sentence in the closet? Well, it must be true because we all have spent time in the closet, and you may be reading this devotional from the cell of your closet right now.
What are the hurts, habits, or hangups that you are hiding? If the world knew these secrets about you, would that alter your life forever? Does your secret(s) have to do with your sexuality, tendencies/fantasies, gender, addiction, a crime(s) you committed but never caught, a dark event from your past, etc.? Does at least one person not involved in these events know these secrets about you, or are you planning on taking them to the grave? How might your life be liberated if you brought your secret(s) out of their hiding place? Imagine no longer hiding in the closet and having to live in a constant state of fear that someone will find out what you are hiding. We are as sick as our secrets. This spiritual exercise of transparency doesn’t mean the whole world must know. Still, if you want to walk the earth in peace, you must discover the willingness and courage to tell someone your secret(s) and seek out the help necessary to heal and reconcile from the circumstances that have caused your affliction.
The act of transparency is one of liberation. Sharing with the world that we struggle with alcohol, drugs, sex, money, food, dark thoughts, perverted thoughts, power, glory, prestige, materialism, etc., is what can bring healing and newfound freedom. We get to choose who we share our junk with; it’s our business; the only thing that matters is that we no longer live in the closet with our secret(s). Sharing our entire life story with another will bring us closer to God, and for many, this will be the first real spiritual experience they ever have. There is a sense of cleanliness and, at last, a oneness with God and humankind that is apocalyptic in nature and effect. It’s only by choice that we must remain incarcerated in the closet with our secret(s).
Don’t hang on to your secrets any longer; pray for the willingness until it comes, then share your entire life story with another human being without holding on to the deepest and darkest secret(s) of your life that has caused so much pain and suffering. In religious circles, they refer to this as confession, and this spiritual practice usually involves a clergy member listening to your story. In recovery circles, they refer to this as Step Five: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” The fifth step is typically taken with a recovery sponsor. After years of “keeping secrets” and hiding faults and shortcomings, openly admitting them—and out loud to another human being—is a drastic turnaround. There is tremendous power and liberation to be experienced by this spiritual exercise. This exercise in transparency is a spiritual discipline that all people need to practice regularly.
God of love and acceptance, thank You for placing value on my life, despite my hurts, habits, and hangups. Please grant me the willingness and courage to bring my secret(s) out of the closet. Please help find the person with whom I can trust to share my secret(s). Finally, I am ready to walk the earth as a free person, liberated from the judgment of others and my cell of isolation and despair. Heal me, God, and set my soul free at last. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will not mine always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
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