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b'We all have them: thoughts or desires that pop into our heads\\u2014some\\nuninvited, others invited. There have been many times when, after such a\\nthought, I was relieved that it was only in my mind and not flashing in\\nlights for all to see.\\nOn one occasion, a thought had been plaguing me for several days. I just\\nwanted to be rid of it. This thought was not helpful and would not further\\nmy relationship with Christ or others. Although I had prayed about it many\\ntimes, my heart felt restless. I knew the temptation itself was not sin,\\nnor had I acted on it, but why would this thought not leave me alone?\\nThat Sunday, my pastor talked about the importance of being real in our\\nrelationships. A few days later, I was having coffee with a close friend.\\nAs we shared the normal and the messy, I felt like God kept prompting me to\\nshare the messiest. But what would my friend think of me?\\nGod reminded me that He sees all of me\\u2014including the parts I am most\\nashamed of\\u2014and His love for me is unshaken. I knew I needed to be open and\\nhonest with my friend, who also loves God. I took a deep breath and said,\\n\\u201cCould I tell you a thought I\\u2019ve been having that I know isn\\u2019t good? I need\\nsomeone to listen and give me some godly wisdom.\\u201d\\nAfter I told my friend, I felt such freedom. She listened, gave wise\\nadvice, did not judge, and committed to pray for me. I also asked her to\\nkeep me accountable to make sure I did not cross the line into sin. Being\\nopen and honest healed. \\u2022 Savannah Coleman\\n\\u2981 Temptation is not a sin (Hebrews 4:14-16), and neither are intrusive\\nthoughts, a common mental health struggle that happens when the brain\\noverfocuses on something that horrifies or disturbs you. When a thought\\npops into your head, you are not bound by it. It\\u2019s just a thought. It only\\nbecomes sin when it begins to impact how you view and treat God, yourself,\\nand others. Who are trusted people\\u2014such as counselors, friends, parents, or\\npastors\\u2014you can be open and honest with? How can you be a safe person for\\nothers, someone who will listen without passing judgment and offer to help\\nshoulder a burden?\\nCarry one another\\u2019s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of\\nChrist. Galatians 6:2 (CSB)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nEccl.4.9-Eccl.4.12|Gal.6.1-Gal.6.10'