Part 1: The Ideal Mars Hill Woman…

…Is Honest About Her Sin.

If we want to paint a stereotype of the Ideal Mars Hill Woman, she would first simply be honest about the condition of her heart.  The Apostle Paul is such a great example of this in the many letters he wrote to the young, fledgling New Testament churches.  In I Timothy 1:12-15, he lays it out very clearly. 

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. .. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

Paul starts his letters under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit with an honest assessment of his sin.  And notice that, while he gives the humble general statement that he was the foremost of sinners, he also lists specific sins.  He doesn’t sugar coat it, and he doesn’t brush over it. 

In contrast, how many of us have spent significant portions of our lives paralyzed by fear of exposure?  We respond in groups by either clamming up or deflecting conversation because we don’t want anyone to know the depth of our issues.  And if we ever do give voice to our struggles, we sanitize it.  We don’t really want others to know how much we’re hurting right now.  And we don’t want anyone to know how much our sin has hurt others. 

Oh that we would be a church of humble women who are honest about our sin.  Instead, so often we are a mix of shame and pride.  We’re ashamed of ourselves because of what others have done to us and what we, in turn, have done to others.  And we’re too proud to admit it to anyone.  We must become women who value confession.   I don’t know where the saying originated that  “confession is good for the soul,” but I believe it’s a concept that is taught first in Scripture. 

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16 NASV) 

Do you notice the link between healing (which we all want) and confession?  We all want to be healed from the ugliness in our lives.  But are we first willing to confess-to admit, to acknowledge as true-the ugliness in our lives? 

During a recent discussion with an elder concerning the women at Mars Hill who come forward for counsel, he said, “Those women who come forward represent those brave enough to get help. They are only a small sampling of the whole body of women at MHC. The issues counselors see are experienced among so many to varying degrees who just can’t bring themselves to the place of exposure. The shame they have experienced and shaming they expect is too much, so they say nothing and stay hidden.”

Does that sound familiar to you?  Do you fall in that group?  God forbid that we hide in the shadows like Eve after her sin lest we be exposed as something other than our warped view of the Ideal Mars Hill woman.  In our depravity, we think the Ideal Mars Hill woman has it all together.  Instead, we must understand the first step is to be honest about our mess.  If you’re ready to stop faking it and value confession and honesty, there are many avenues for you to travel.  Here are some places to start. 

Pastoral counseling and redemption groups (sexual addiction, drug addiction, abortion) can be reached at care@marshillchurch.org.

Help for sexual and physical abuse, emotional and abandonment issues can be reached at gracegroups@marshillchurch.org.

Mutual honesty and accountability among women often starts in community groups. For the most up-to-date information and helpful assistance on getting connected to a group, check out the Life on Mars blog.

Confession begins the process of repentance. For a good Biblical exploration of the journey from sin to joy via confession and repentance to God, check out Grace Driscoll’s lesson from the January 2007 Women’s Training Day.

Psalm 32
1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
Selah

5I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah