Bulletin Article

Don’t Fake It When You Can Make It

 Suppressing who you are doesn’t change who you are; you must work on your transformation to become who you strive to be. A person can only hide their identity before the actual individual eventually shows up and surprises everyone they mislead. This surprise appearance often happens at a time when no one expects it, not even the individual. Some are good at masquerading; for others, what they are projecting is clearly forced.

  Have you ever been there? If you are that person, God wants you to know you do not have to pretend anymore. Pretending righteousness will only delay or prevent you from becoming what God wants you to be. Maybe you entertain the thought that it is easy to do wrong and hard to do right. I submit that it is hard to do what is right when you do not want to do what is right. It is easy to do wrong when you desire to do evil.

 When a person pretends to be someone else, they know the real them is not acceptable, yet they desire acceptance. God will accept you along with His people as you begin your transformation. There is a saying in religious circles that says, “come as you are.” To “come as you are” does not mean you can stay as you are. I want to tell you that your change will be instantaneous, which would be misleading. However, be satisfied with your small gains and victories until your transformation is visible to all, and never quit.

 In Christ Jesus, your smile doesn’t have to be crooked; your walk doesn’t have to be forced. Your transformation happens naturally as you strive to live for God. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). We must do the work by continuing to look at God’s word which is a mirror that not only shows us who we are but how we can be made better. As you look in God’s mirror, make those adjustments. You don’t have to pretend anymore. May God bless your life.

©Courtney Henderson August 6, 2022