If We're Honest

By: Becca Bergman

Have you ever heard the song “If We’re Honest” by Francesca Battistelli? It is my new personal anthem. I love everything about it - the music, her voice, and most of all, the lyrics. They speak right to my heart and the message behind them is so powerful!

I could listen to this song on repeat, and most days I do! Every time I listen to it I am reminded of the type of person I want to be and the type of person God has given me grace to be.

Before I go on, take a minute to read the lyrics below:

"Truth is harder than a lie/the dark seems safer than the light/and everyone has a heart that loves to hide/I’m a mess and so are you/we’ve built walls nobody can get though…”


“Bring your brokenness, and I’ll bring mine/‘cause love can heal what hurt divides/and mercy’s waiting on the other side/if we’re honest”


“Don’t pretend to be something that you’re not/living life afraid of getting caught/there is freedom found when we lay our secrets down at the cross, at the cross”

 She is talking about being honest and laying all our stuff, the good, bad, and ugly, out on the table. We build walls that keep people from seeing the real us. Often because we feel ashamed, like we will be judged, or we are comparing ourselves to others. All this does is cause pain and separation from God and the ones we love.

There is no need to be bound by our sin or shame since God has already forgiven us. As she writes, “There is freedom found when we lay our secrets down at the cross.” In this freedom, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and allow others to be that way with us. 

Laying my mess on the table to others has saved my sanity, my marriage, and helped me become a better mom, friend, and follower of Christ. The beauty of sharing this brokenness and being truly honest is that it forms real, deep, and meaningful friendships.  In those times I needed to be real so I could get real feedback, support, and advice.


James 5:16 (NLT): Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

The real beauty of this song is that God knows our hearts and the deepest secrets we keep. He has already forgiven our sins; we are no longer bound by our past. Sharing our experiences with others only glorifies God and will help others find that same freedom as well.

As we prepare for MOPS this year my prayer is that we can all lay our burdens at the cross and gain freedom in Christ, and that you come to MOPS just as you are, mess and all. We will all be here with our messes, too, and we can get through it all together.

“It would change our lives/it would set us free/it’s what we need to be…”