15 Mar Are You Covert or Overt?
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19–20)
A few years ago, a couple sat on the couch in my office because the wife wanted to confront her husband about something. To serve him, she had decided to clean out his dirty car as a surprise. While cleaning, she found a laptop that she had never seen before. Turning it on, she discovered that he had a very hidden private life that included photos of him with another woman, photos of him with children she had never met, bank accounts she was unaware of, and other details of his secret life.
As she brought these facts up in the conversation and asked what was going on, he at first denied it. Then, he blame-shifted the burden to her and said she had no right to be looking in his car or at his personal belongings. Eventually, he admitted to a few things but was not completely forthcoming.
He was covert. She was overt.
A covert person loves darkness and likes to hide what he is doing so that he is not found out and exposed. A covert person pretends to be someone she is not. A covert person is sneaky, dishonest, manipulative, and controlling. A covert person does not come clean but instead must be caught. It is very difficult to have a healthy relationship with a covert person.
In contrast, an overt person loves the light and is upfront, honest, and forthcoming. When they have done wrong, overt people have to let others know, get it off their chest, and come clean with their wrongdoing. It is a lot easier to have a relationship with an overt person.
To have relationship with God, you need to be overt. The truth is that God already sees and knows all, so seeking to be covert with Him is just foolishness. So, the only way to grow as a Christian is to learn to be wisely overt with godly people and God Himself.
Are you more covert or overt?
