Be Genuine!

Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up at the right time.

1 Peter 5:6 

 

I like words.  I like finding out how they came to be and I enjoy writing them (although Auto-correct and I are not on speaking terms currently).  When I read today's verse, the word "Humble" stuck out for me.  So after some careful and diligent research, I discovered that the word translated as "humble" means: "to have a modest opinion of oneself; to behave in an assuming manner."  In other words, "Be genuine under God's power so that He may raise you up at the right time."

 

Be genuine!  Be authentic! Be real! Be honest!  Sounds easy, doesn't it? We all know people who seem to be chameleons changing according to the crowd.  But God has called us to be genuine!

 

Genuinely Care.

Genuinely pray!

Genuinely listen!

Genuinely speak!

Genuinely love each other!

 

One of my favorite authors shared a thought I found profound: "Religious stuff doesn't make us better...it makes us more religious."  Being "religious" is not genuine.  It is not authentic!

 

 

Living A Life Of Illusion

Pride goes before destruction,
    and haughtiness before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 

 

I like music.  Well.....let me change that to "I like MOST music" because there are some genre's and artists and songs that really just make my eardrums just want to explode.  But I digress.  One of the songs I rather enjoy is by Joe Walsh and is called, "Life of Illusion" (YouTube it and give it a listen).

 

The reason I bring this up is because many of us seem to be living a life of illusion, and we have done it so long that we actually believe it to be true.  Then when our illusion begins to crumble, we are left devastated and wondering why.  And the simple answer is, we were living a life of illusion.  We fool ourselves!  

 

Look at the photo.  It would appear that this vehicle is about to take a ramp to a lower section below the street.  However, this is 3D chalk art.  It is not real.  The car will simply drive over the drawing and keep going on its way.  Yet some drivers were truly stunned and believed that they were going to be descending the ramp to another place.

 

We do the same thing!  Until reality is staring us eyeball-to-eyeball and the bubble we chose to live in bursts.  I have seen the toughest of the tough weeps such bitter tears because they responded to a scene where a child was involved who was near the same age as one of their children or grandchildren.  I have seen the high and mighty reveal the cracks in their facade when they are caught in an unguarded moment.  And I have seen the face in the mirror reveal failure after failure especially when I refused to admit I had failed.

 

It's time for us to begin, right here and right now!  Let us stop Living The Life Of Illusion and be honest and real.  Our time on this Earth is limited, so why waste it trying to be something we are not? 

Radiate!

As water reflects the face,
    so the heart reflects one person to another.

Proverbs 27:19 

 

Have you ever watched a pet see their reflection in the water for the first time?  Child do this too.  They either want to fight with it, play with it, or are afraid of it. I saw a documentary on some tribes in places like New Guinea or deep within the Amazon, who believe their reflection truly reveals their spirit and they also believe that cameras steal their spirit (which is held within the photo).

 

Think about how much time we spend looking into reflective surfaces, making adjustments to our appearance, checking to make sure we didn't spill any of our lunch, are our seams straight (if you are military, check your "gig" line to make sure you are squared away).  We spend vast amounts of time looking at our reflections.

 

One television program I used to watch with so much regularity that I purchased the DVD, was called "Keeping Up Appearances."  The main character's entire life revolved around the appearance of perfection and putting on airs to convince others she was of the "upper crust" of society.

 

However, this devotional is not about what we look like.  Our actions tell more about us than our appearance.   Some of the most physically attractive people have some of the most ugly hearts.  

 

My bride and I watch HGTV and enjoy the home repair programs.  One episode of one of the programs, which is no longer being aired, the home flipper told his crew to paint over the rotting wood so they could sell the house before the rot was discovered, he called it "sugar coating" the house.  How often do we do that?  We want people to see us as more than we are? 

 

Are you caring?  Your actions will prove it.  Are you obnoxious? Your actions will prove it.  

 

Rule of Thumb: "Your Actions Prove You!"   

BE The Real Deal!

Meanwhile, God did amazing miracles through Paul. ¹² People would take a handkerchief or article of clothing that had touched Paul’s skin and bring it to their sick friends or relatives, and the patients would be cured of their diseases or released from the evil spirits that oppressed them. Some itinerant Jewish exorcists noticed Paul’s success in this regard, so they tried to use the name of Jesus, the King, in an exorcism they were performing.

Imagine this: There are seven of them, all sons of a Jewish chief priest named Sceva, gathered around a demonized man in a house.

One of the Jewish Exorcists: I command you to depart, by the Jesus proclaimed by Paul!

Evil Spirit: Jesus I know. Paul I know. But who are you?

 Then the man leaps up, attacks them all, rips off their clothing, and beats them so badly that they run out of the house stark naked and covered in bruises.

~Acts 19:11-16

When I was growing older (but not up), this was one of my favorite stories because the arrogant fakes got their backsides handed to them in a big way.  Never have been a fan of fake.  Know any fake people?  The ones who are nice to the "right" people because it suits their needs and then they turn right around and stab the same people in the back.  Maybe you've been the stabber (I have) and perhaps you've been the stabbee (I have).  

  

I get to see it quite often.  People who speak fluent profanity until they see me standing there and then it's "Sorry Padre" and the mask goes in place hiding the genuine person for the extent of my stay. 

Look at today's Scripture.  We see the Seven sons of a Jewish priest trying to fake their way to success by claiming to be itinerant exorcists.  They saw that the Apostle Paul had been quite successful in fighting evil so they figured if they say the "right words" the evil will flee from them too.  Let me tell you something about the "right words"...they are HOGWASH!!!  God does not look at our outward appearance and certainly doesn't give too much credence to the "right words" we say in prayer.  God looks at the intentions of our heart!

What happened to the Sons of Sceva when they used the "right words" for the wrong reasons?  They got their butts handed to them in a HUGE way!

Be GENUINE!  Be Sincere!  Be Real!  Fake is not a good look for anyone!