Truth-Telling Tuesday: The Stories We Don’t Want to Tell

“Tell the truth.”

Most of us heard that phrase growing up - at home, in school, in church. We learned that honesty is the “right” thing to do. But no one really prepared us for the truths that live a few layers deeper. Not the “I ate the last cookie” truths, but the ones tied to betrayal, neglect, abuse, and disappointment. The truths that changed us.

Those truths feel different. They live in the body as much as in the mind. Sometimes they sit in the background like a low hum. Other times they slam into the present unexpectedly. And if you’ve ever wondered why it is so hard to speak them out loud, you are not broken - you are human.

Why Some Truths Go Underground

God designed our brains with survival in mind. When something painful or unsafe happens - especially when we are young - our minds do what they must to help us keep going. Sometimes that looks like minimizing an experience. Sometimes it looks like forgetting parts of it. Sometimes it looks like silence.

There are things in your story you did not choose. People you trusted who did not have your best interest at heart. Situations where you were loyal to those who were never truly loyal to you. The details may differ, but the core reality is painfully common. Scripture acknowledges that not everyone around us is safe or sincere; it warns about people who appear gentle on the outside but are harmful within. [Matthew 7:15]

So when your body tenses at the idea of “telling the whole story,” that reaction is not proof you lack faith. It is proof you have lived. Your nervous system has learned to protect you.

Truth and Timing

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of truth. “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor.” [Ephesians 4:25] But Scripture does not say, “Dump everything, everywhere, all at once.” Even Jesus told some people more than others. He said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” [John 16:12]

Truth-telling is holy, but timing is also holy.

• It is possible to be honest and still be wise about when and how you share.
• It is possible to honor your story without handing it to people who have not shown themselves safe.
• It is possible to be a truth-teller while still healing.

God is not rushing you to perform your pain for an audience. He is inviting you to walk with Him in authenticity - step by step, layer by layer.

Some People Didn’t Have Your Best Interest at Heart

Part of living faith boldly is being willing to say, “What happened to me was wrong,” even if you once spiritualized it or blamed yourself. The truth may be that:

• Someone used spiritual language to control you.
• Someone minimized your pain so they wouldn’t have to change.
• Someone benefited from your silence.

You may have spent years excusing their behavior or telling yourself, “It wasn’t that bad,” because survival felt easier that way. But God’s heart is not neutral about injustice. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” [Psalm 34:18]

Naming the truth about how you were treated is not dishonoring your faith; it is aligning with God’s perspective. He sees clearly. He never confuses manipulation with love or control with care.

Respecting How Others Tell Their Stories

Here is where Truth-Telling Tuesday gets practical:

Everyone is carrying truths they never asked for. Everyone is navigating their own mixture of memory, survival, fear, and faith. That means:

• Some will share their stories publicly.
• Some will share quietly with a therapist, pastor, or trusted friend.
• Some are still finding the words and are not ready to speak yet.

Your job is not to decide how someone else tells their truth. Your job is to honor that their story is theirs.

Scripture calls us to “mourn with those who mourn.” [Romans 12:15] That looks like listening more than fixing, believing victims rather than reflexively defending image, and resisting the urge to rush people into “forgiveness” because their pain makes us uncomfortable. Real love “rejoices with the truth.” [1 Corinthians 13:6] It does not demand silence for the sake of appearances.

Let people share their stories as they see fit. Celebrate their courage when they do. Hold space for their process when they are not ready yet.

Bold Faith Is Honest Faith

Living faith boldly is not just about public declarations or big risks. Sometimes, bold faith looks like finally telling yourself the truth about your own life.

• Bold faith admits, “That really did hurt me.”
• Bold faith says, “I was not protected the way I should have been.”
• Bold faith chooses, “I will not rewrite history just to keep other people comfortable.”

At the same time, bold faith also says, “My story doesn’t end with what they did; it continues with what God does now.” God can hold the full weight of your truth and still call you beloved, chosen, and whole in Him. [Psalm 147:3]

A Gentle Truth-Telling Practice

If this all feels tender, here is a simple practice for today:

1. Name one buried truth just between you and God.
   • Find a quiet moment and write a single sentence that begins, “Lord, the truth is…”
   • Do not edit it to sound polite. Let it be raw and simple.
2. Ask God how He sees it.
   • Pray, “Show me Your heart about this.”
   • Sit with any verse or phrase that comes to mind, especially those that speak of His closeness, justice, and compassion. [Psalm 34:18]
3. Consider one safe person.
   • Ask, “Is there one trusted person I could share a piece of this with - not to relive it, but to stop carrying it alone?”
   • If the answer is “not yet,” that is okay. Simply commit to being open when God provides that person.

Truth-Telling Tuesday Prayer

Jesus,
You are the Truth,
and You see every part of my story -
the chapters I tell freely
and the ones I keep buried deep.

Thank You for wiring my mind to survive,
even when life was more than I could handle.
But now, I ask You to gently lead me
from survival into healing.

Show me which truths
You are inviting me to name,
and when and how to speak them.
Protect my heart from unsafe ears,
and surround me with people
who can hold my story with honor.

Teach me to respect the stories of others,
to listen more than I judge,
to rejoice with the truth
even when it is messy and uncomfortable.

Most of all,
let my faith be bold enough
to live honestly before You -
trusting that nothing I reveal
can make me less loved in Your eyes.

In Your name,
Amen.

And here is today’s whisper for your heart:

“You don’t have to tell everything to everyone, but you never have to hide the truth from Me.”

With love and sacred rhythm,
Eugene 💘

EugeniasThought: JMF💘

🎧 Frequency Feature: Iris

“Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls carries that ache of being deeply known and yet afraid of being fully seen, which fits the heart of this Truth-Telling Tuesday. The song’s longing - “I just want you to know who I am” - echoes the tension of holding buried truths while quietly craving spaces safe enough to tell them. As you listen, let it remind you that God already sees the whole story you’re carrying, and that honest, respectful truth-telling is less about exposing yourself to everyone and more about stepping out of hiding with Him and with the safe people He provides.

Weekly Editorial Rhythm

• Monday: Monday Morning Grace - a gentle start to the week with faith-centered encouragement
• Tuesday: Truth-Telling Tuesday - authentic reflections on living faith boldly
• Wednesday: The Midweek Mirror - a pause for spiritual reflection and self-compassion
• Thursday: Frequency Thursday - tuning into God's voice amid life's noise
• Friday: Follow Friday - exploring what it means to follow Jesus in everyday moments
• Saturday: Sacred Saturday - rest, reflection, and spiritual practices
• Sunday: Sunday Soul Food - nourishing reflections to ground your week ahead

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