Friday Fight 133: Period of Pretending
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF133.
What comes to mind when we think of the word pretending? Do we imagine someone being fake or hiding a feeling? An example could be acting like we enjoyed a meal even though we didn't. Or pretending to love a job simply because of the paycheck size. Perhaps the word brings thoughts of not hearing a comment or our false excitement of a friend's coffee suggestion. Last week, my husband gave an inaccurate representation of my movie choice when, in reality, he was irritated about the two hours he lost. These are all trivial, but what happens when we apply this to something of tremendous significance, like our spiritual lives?
Period of Pretending:
We can all think of countless times when we came across differently than we actually felt. It could be proclaiming happiness, but in reality, we are filled with hurt and fear. How many of us pretend to be okay to protect ourselves from being repeatedly hurt? In doing so, our composure remains steady for everyone else's benefit. What happens to our hearts? Are we just fooling ourselves? Psalm 139:2 says, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." God knows everything, and we cannot fool or hide from Him.
Let's look at this from another perspective. Suppose we walk into a convenience store to purchase lottery tickets, hoping our winnings will cover our debt. It is not a lot of money, and we aren't hurting anyone, right? But, as we return to our car, we start to feel the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit inquiring about our actions. Are we pretending that our choice did not hurt God, or are we pretending to not hear the Holy Spirit grieving for us? We can apply this to anything that separates us from God. Eventually, our pretending expands to defending so we can continue following our worldly desires. When we guard our sinful choices, we expose ourselves to the sin of pride. In these moments, we are making ourselves believe that God doesn't mind when, in fact, He does. Gambling is a sin. This is just one example or phase of pretending.
As we reflect on being honest with ourselves and God, what area are we avoiding? It could be the false reality of our financial situation, and we see the Amazon driver more than some family members. Again, there are numerous things we could list: our health, our relationships, or our occasional pleasures disguising our additions. This post may bring awareness of past struggles already handled. Thank you, Jesus!
To stop this cycle, we need to recognize these areas and give them to God. Stop, pray, and listen to the Holy Spirit of truth and guidance, who only wants what is best for us. God knows what we feel and are trying to hide. Reflection like this is complex and challenging, but God sees our tears even when no one else knows we've been crying. Try to envision God wrapping his arms around us and mourning in His throne room when our sins cause us to pretend we are spiritually healthy. This week, please join me in reflecting more closely on the voice of the Holy Spirit, His loving guidance, and surrendering everything to God.
Photo Credit: Rylee Gragg
Pastor Shannon
New Life Calvert