Read

Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”

Think

Nobody loves the word wrath. It sounds heavy. Harsh. Like something out of an Old Testament judgment scene. But Paul isn’t talking about a reckless, angry outburst. The wrath of God isn’t random or cruel. It’s righteous. It’s the steady, holy reaction of a perfect God toward the things that wreck his creation, toward the sin that sabotages our lives.

And Paul says this wrath is not just future—it’s now. It is being revealed. Not always with thunder and fire, but in the unraveling of lives that decide to live without truth. It shows up in the brokenness that follows when people push God out of the picture and try to define everything on their own terms.

The core issue isn’t ignorance. It’s suppression. Paul uses a word that means “to hold down.” Picture someone trying to keep a beach ball underwater. You can do it for a while, but it takes energy. Constant pressure. And eventually, it shoots back up, no matter how hard you try to keep it submerged. That’s what truth does. You can bury it for a season. You can mute the conviction. But it never stays quiet forever. It surfaces. It speaks. And the longer you fight it, the more exhausted you become.

This suppression of truth isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s subtle. It happens when we ignore the tug to be honest about a habit. When we drown out conviction with busyness. When we let comfort win over confession. Most of the time, it doesn’t feel like rebellion. It just feels like survival. But make no mistake—truth buried is truth rejected.

Think of a sink slowly filling with dirty water. You pull the plug, but the drain is clogged. The water doesn’t move. Over time, it stagnates. It starts to smell. It becomes toxic. That’s what happens in the soul when truth is blocked. Things grow dark. Things get stuck. You start living from confusion instead of clarity. You may look fine on the outside, but spiritually, you’re stagnant.

We live in a culture that has mastered the art of avoidance. Scroll past it. Rationalize it. Call it someone else’s issue. But the longer you suppress the truth, the harder it gets to tell what’s real. What once convicted your heart now barely registers. And that’s when things get dangerous—not because God has changed, but because we’ve numbed ourselves into believing we don’t need him.

This is what Paul’s warning is about. It’s not just about wickedness in general—it’s about people who know the truth, but still push it away. The issue isn’t lack of access. It’s lack of surrender. And eventually, that posture has consequences. Not because God is vindictive, but because he will not force his way into a heart that keeps locking the door.

It’s like refusing to go to the doctor even though your symptoms worsen. At some point, the problem grows beyond what you can manage. Suppressing the truth never leads to freedom. It only deepens the wound.

But here’s what’s often missed: God’s wrath isn’t the opposite of his love. It flows from it. He’s angry because he’s invested. Because he wants more for you than numbness and pretense. He designed you for light. For truth. For honesty that leads to healing. And when that gets traded for a lie, it grieves his heart.

Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you are there. Hiding. Managing. Suppressing. Telling yourself you’ll deal with it when life slows down. But the truth is, that moment rarely comes. And the longer you wait, the more weight you carry. Not because God is far, but because you keep trying to handle what only he can heal. It doesn’t have to stay that way.

Truth is not your enemy. It’s your rescue. Jesus doesn’t come to embarrass you with it. He comes to meet you in it. The cross isn’t just about forgiveness. It’s about exposure that leads to freedom. You don’t have to be afraid of the light. You just have to stop pretending you don’t need it. You can keep trying to hold the ball underwater. Or you can let it rise and finally take a breath.

Apply

Take five honest minutes today and ask: “Where am I suppressing truth?” Is it a conversation you’re avoiding? A sin you’re managing? A spiritual prompt you keep ignoring? Write it down. Name it. You don’t have to fix everything today, but you do need to stop pretending it’s not there. Don’t manage what God wants to free you from.

Pray

Jesus, I confess I’ve buried things. I’ve quieted your voice in places where I didn’t want to change. But I don’t want to live hidden anymore. I want to live free. Help me believe that your truth doesn’t come to crush me—it comes to heal me. Expose what needs to be surrendered. Help me trust that the light is where the healing starts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.