Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 51-55 | Romans 6

For a long time, I thought love meant keeping the peace.

I believed staying quiet was safe. That minimizing my hurt was kindness. And pretending everything was “fine” protected relationships from falling apart.

So I became very skilled at silence.

I would carry disappointment quietly and convince myself not to “make things bigger than they needed to be.” Meanwhile, distance slowly formed in places where connection once lived.

Unresolved pain settles in the heart; it does not disappear simply because we refuse to speak about it.

And, eventually, the hurt I buried would bubble up anyway. Sometimes inwardly. Sometimes outwardly. But almost always leaving a trail of damage behind, exactly the way the enemy wants.

Inside, I replayed false narratives from the scripts in my mind:

“They do not care.”

“You are too much.”

“You will be rejected.”

On the outside, I would slowly withdraw and hide. And if the pain sat untouched long enough, eventually it would seep out defensively or reactively. Not because I wanted to wound others, but because wounded places eventually cry out when they remain unseen.

One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that disappointment creates distance when truth is left unspoken. We seek relational perfection, and the moment friction appears, we emotionally pull away to protect ourselves.

Distance feels safer than vulnerability.

But silence can become its own form of dishonesty.

Not just the obvious lies we say, but the subtle ones we hide behind:

“I’m okay.”

“It didn’t hurt.”

“I don’t need anything.”

There are lies of commission, where we speak what is untrue. But there are also lies of omission, where we withhold truth because we fear conflict, rejection, or being misunderstood.

And yet withholding the truth slowly damages intimacy, too.

Unspoken hurt becomes resentment.

Avoided conversations become walls.

False peace becomes emotional separation.

Paul reminds us that following Jesus means putting off the old way of living. The old self hides, avoids, pretends, and self-protects. But our new nature invites us into honesty, humility, and healing.

Colossians 3:9-10
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Not perfection. Truth.

Maybe today the invitation is simply this:

Stop hiding behind silence and start saying what is true.

Questions:
Where in my life have I mistaken silence for peace while quietly creating distance in a relationship?

What truth have I been avoiding because I fear conflict, rejection, or vulnerability?

Next Steps:
Take one small step toward honest connection this week.

Instead of withdrawing, choose one safe relationship where you can practice telling the truth with humility and grace. That may look like starting a conversation, admitting hurt, asking for support, or simply letting someone know you have been distant.

If you have been craving deeper connection but hiding in isolation, consider joining or even leading a summer Group. Healing often happens when we stop carrying things alone and allow ourselves to be fully known.

Prayer:
Jesus, I confess that there are times I hide behind silence, avoidance, and self-protection. I tell myself I am keeping the peace, but often I am only creating distance. Help me recognize the false narratives I replay in my mind and replace them with your truth. Give me the courage to be honest about my hurt instead of burying it until it spills out onto others. Teach me how to speak truth with humility, love, and grace. Heal the places in me that fear rejection, conflict, and vulnerability. Help me stop hiding and start living in the light. Renew my heart, my mind, and my relationships as I learn to become more like you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Galatians 5:13
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

This post was written by Monique Myers, a Perrysburg attendee and regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.