Be Honest About the Process
"Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’” – John 14:5
When Jesus told His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, He didn’t follow it with “so pretend everything is fine.” He didn’t tell them to fake their peace or hide their pain. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see how Thomas responded. He heard Jesus talk about the plan, but instead of nodding along, he spoke up. He said what most of us probably would have been thinking, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”
Thomas has picked up a reputation over the years. Most people know him as “Doubting Thomas.” But if you look closely, Thomas wasn’t weak in his commitment to Jesus. He was just honest about his confusion. When others kept quiet, Thomas asked the hard question. He wasn’t trying to stir up trouble. He just wanted clarity. And that honesty made space for Jesus to explain the truth more clearly.
You see, heart trouble doesn’t just come from the problem; it also comes from pretending the problem doesn’t exist. When we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or uncertain, but we try to bury those feelings to keep up appearances, that’s when it starts clogging our spiritual arteries. We pretend everything’s fine. We post the smiles, quote the verses, and walk into church like we’re good, when deep down we feel like we’re falling apart. But healing can’t happen without honesty. God can’t meet you in a place you won’t admit you’re standing in.
Thomas teaches us something important. If you want to deal with heart trouble, you’ve got to be honest about the process. Stop trying to fake your way through it. Stop feeling like you have to pretend you’ve got it all together. There is no healing in hiding. There is no strength in silence.
And here’s the beautiful part. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for his question. He answered it. He didn’t shame Thomas for his doubt. He showed up and proved Himself real. That same grace is available to you. If you’ll just be honest, if you’ll stop hiding what hurts and pretending what’s unclear is obvious, Jesus will meet you in your honesty. You don’t have to be perfect to follow Him. But you do have to be real.
When Jesus told His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, He didn’t follow it with “so pretend everything is fine.” He didn’t tell them to fake their peace or hide their pain. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see how Thomas responded. He heard Jesus talk about the plan, but instead of nodding along, he spoke up. He said what most of us probably would have been thinking, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”
Thomas has picked up a reputation over the years. Most people know him as “Doubting Thomas.” But if you look closely, Thomas wasn’t weak in his commitment to Jesus. He was just honest about his confusion. When others kept quiet, Thomas asked the hard question. He wasn’t trying to stir up trouble. He just wanted clarity. And that honesty made space for Jesus to explain the truth more clearly.
You see, heart trouble doesn’t just come from the problem; it also comes from pretending the problem doesn’t exist. When we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or uncertain, but we try to bury those feelings to keep up appearances, that’s when it starts clogging our spiritual arteries. We pretend everything’s fine. We post the smiles, quote the verses, and walk into church like we’re good, when deep down we feel like we’re falling apart. But healing can’t happen without honesty. God can’t meet you in a place you won’t admit you’re standing in.
Thomas teaches us something important. If you want to deal with heart trouble, you’ve got to be honest about the process. Stop trying to fake your way through it. Stop feeling like you have to pretend you’ve got it all together. There is no healing in hiding. There is no strength in silence.
And here’s the beautiful part. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for his question. He answered it. He didn’t shame Thomas for his doubt. He showed up and proved Himself real. That same grace is available to you. If you’ll just be honest, if you’ll stop hiding what hurts and pretending what’s unclear is obvious, Jesus will meet you in your honesty. You don’t have to be perfect to follow Him. But you do have to be real.
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