The mission of Mothers Together is to be a community of women with hearts open to the Lord, one another and a world in need. We pray that through this community we will have the opportunity to enter into discipling relationships that will transform our lives by strengthening our ultimate relationship with Christ as we journey together as women.
The thing about any relationship from which you expect growth, be it personal, professional, within the church, or otherwise, is that it requires a level of honesty and authenticity. If you want to enter into a life-changing relationship, a discipling relationship, as we are all called to do it takes more than the accountability we have already discussed.
Greg Ogden says that, “Transformation occurs when we grapple with the truth of God’s Word in the context of transparent relationships.” [Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ] I don’t know about you, but the idea of being “transparent” with others is a scary thing for me to consider. Being open and honest with God is one thing - He has not only seen my dirty laundry, He held me up, walked next to me, and watched over me while I got each and every stain, scuff, or speck of dirt - but inviting others into my laundry room makes me a bit queasy.
Ogden goes on to write, “Honesty with God is not sufficient. We give God permission to reshape our lives when we risk self-revelation and confession to others.” Whoa...in order to truly give my life over to God, I have to open it up to others? One of Heartland’s Core Values is to “Be Honest with yourself, one another, and God.”
In the Bible, Jesus’ brother James wrote to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16. Once again, we are called to open up and be honest with one another. We are to live lives of authenticity - be real with one-another, do life together. “We can’t grow in Christ by ourselves.” [Discipleship Essentials]
What does that look like? My husband and I have been working on living this within our marriage as well as our friendships. We are reading Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden and make a point to discuss it. In all honesty, he is much better about translating what he has learned into his friendships - I am working on it. It has improved our communication with one another, giving us a platform for bringing personal trials and issues between us into the light.
I have a few women who I am trying to be more intentional about living transparently with. It is hard, but prayerfully considering my interactions has allowed me to feel the freedom to open up when I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to do so. The women at my table in Mothers Together are becoming women I can open up to and the prompting of our speakers, discussion questions, and Bible reading has made the opportunities to open up easier to take advantage of. Who are you opening up to?
