On editing

Wendy's post on authenticity and openness has got me thinking*. I'm a believer in authenticity and openness up to a point. But I'm also a believer in editing.

We all edit. Even if you think you are just saying stuff as it is, you are editing.

And we should edit. All the pettiness and ingratitude in my heart is horrible and I shouldn't want to share it with you. To voice it is often to give it oxygen. We ought to edit it from our conversation and  writing because we want to cut it from our lives.

So I think we need to edit sin. Not that we should try to make ourselves look better than we are, but sin is ugly. It's details are unpleasant to hear and read and if they are not, then that's even more dangerous.

But there's other stuff we should edit too. Some of our struggles and even some of our joys. It may not be helpful for people to hear these. We can choose who we share certain things with. That's not being unauthentic or closed. It can be consideration.

So...

Openness and authenticity - Yes. Let people know you. But:

• guard people from the details of your sin. They mostly don't need to know.
• don't complain or grumble. That's not openness. It's just ungodliness.
• be considerate about who you share what with.

Thoughts?


*I've got no problems with anything Wendy wrote.