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Thursday, June 08, 2006

Keeping it real

“Keep it real” is a phrase that is current today. I like it. “Keep it real.” Don’t be a phony. Don’t be fake.

Someone once said, “A hypocrite is someone who complains there is too much sex and violence on his VCR.”

If there is anyone we should keep it real with it is Jesus.

Self-righteousness really bugged Jesus. He loved to be around people who were humble and totally dependent upon God.

One time a Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, which was a really big deal in those times.

There was a woman who lived a really sinful life that heard that Jesus was visiting the Pharisee and brought an alabaster jar of perfume, stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to wt his feet with her tears.

Then she wiped them off with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.”

I can just see Jesus shaking his head at that. “Simon,” he says, I have something to tell you.

“Hey, Simon, you didn’t offer me a kiss of greeting.” “You didn’t wash my feet (a courtesy extended to guests because sandaled feet got very dirty).” “You didn’t anoint my head with oil.”

Yet this woman gives me heartfelt tears and anoints my feet with expensive perfume.

God always honors sincere worship.

God always gives his grace to those who come humbly to him. When you converse with God today – be real. Let God know how you feel.

Some days all I have to offer God are my tears, my faults and my failures. Yet God always reaches down in recognition of my love for him and brings me up and gives me peace in the midst of a storm – as I am real with Him.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

George:

Great words. Why are we so afraid to "keep it real"? Our world today is so fake. No one wants anyone else to know that they have faults, disappointments and failures. What a croc! The older I get the more I don't care about what other people think of my faults, failures and disappointments. As you said, all God wants from me is my sincere worship. My saying, "God, I can't to anything without you. Thanking for accepting me warts and all".

Teresa O. said...

I had written something yesterday, but it never got posted, so I’ll try again. I agree with every thing the both of you have said. I know I want to be “real” with those that I come in contact with and I hope I am for the most part. Where I struggle mostly is the times that I share my weaknesses or difficulties it seems the majority of the time I become the gossip of conversation, I get silence, or people just don’t care. We all know when people are sincere or not. I normally walk away with “what’s the point.” I do get tired of superficial relationships and try to make more of relationships than just surface talk.

Speaking of superficial, I also know I am guilty of presenting myself in worship to God superficially. I desire to truly rest in His presence and to be more real with him than anyone, and to especially not come to him with shallow worship because I’m too worried what people around me will think. God created us to worship didn’t he? Then why doesn’t it feel natural to do so? He is teaching me to present my offering - uninhibited and unashamed worship. I tire of seeing fake worship more than seeing people with all their facades.

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