Be A Light, Be A Help

Good Morning!! It's my belief that; sharing our own personal experiences and insight may help our friend understand how to deal with a life-altering problem. We need to keep the conversation positive, talking about our mistakes,...but focusing more on how God helped us, and the things you learned through the process. Don't allow self-disclosure to shift the focus of the conversation, by talking too much about ones self, and away from the person you're wanting to help. It is also important that while sharing with others, that we not be too judgmental,...talking down to them, making them feel as though we're treating them like a child,...or an inferior person.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.—Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Our self-disclosure should have a clear goal, of providing insight or a perspective, that our friend does not appear to have, that can and will move them toward healing. Try to stay at a level of sharing and insight, relevant to the person's need. Freedom from a life-altering problem is a process. Pray that God will help us disclose all that will assist our friends in that process,...but not so much as to produce confusion. And pray that God will use what we say to help set our family, friends and loved ones free. 

Appropriate self-disclosure, can be a useful tool in a helping relationship.

Holy Spirit, help us be generous with our hurts, heart aches, and experiences,...sharing with the people in our lives, those things that will hasten deliverance and healing. I pray that our self-disclosure will be an encouragement to our friends,...to open up to God. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"If we're not Spirit-controlled, it unlikely that we'll ever be what God intended."