Thursday, March 6, 2008

 

How Will they Know Series

 

Matthew 23:3 “…..For they do not practice what they preach.”

 

The Pretense

 

Last summer some college friends of Christina came to church on Sunday and then were invited to our house for lunch.   Averette had planned a nice Sunday meal for them in our home.   I remember it was very, very hot and we had not turned the air conditioner down and the inside of our house was warm as well.  

 

Averette and the girls were working to get the food ready and Andy, one of the college friends, was helping me move chairs and care for the various details.   I noticed Andy was still dressed in his coat and tie.   I had taken mine off and asked Andy, “Why don’t you take off your coat and tie?”  He said, “No thank you, Reverend Hale.  I’m so casually dressed most of the time I’m enjoying wearing my coat and tie today.”  His friends looked at him incredulously but said nothing.   Averette said to me, “Honey, why don’t you and Andy go to the church and get some ice?”  

 

When we left the house for the car I said, “Are you sure, Andy, you don’t want to take off your coat and tie?”  He laughed and said, “I’m sure.”    As we got to the church and were washing the ice chest out I accidentally squirted him on his jacket.  He took it off so he could dry it with a towel.   I fell on the floor laughing.  You see, when Andy prepared to dress that day he only pressed his cuffs collar, and shirt front.  The rest of the shirt looked like it had never seen an iron.   Sometimes we cheat.

 

In our spiritual life it is easy to cheat.   We can go to church and act like we are cool with God.  We can pray in public and use all the church language.  We can go to spiritual places and carry a Bible everywhere.  However, if we don’t have a personal relationship with God, our spiritual life is just like Andy’s shirt. 

 

All God wants from us is for us to love Him and spend time with Him.   It is key for our relationship with God that we connect regularly, read the Bible, and follow God’s wise guidance.    A personal relationship with God means that we spend time with Him as we live, that God goes to work with us, and He is at home with us, that He rides in the car with us, and that He is a factor in all of our relationships.    A personal relationship with God means we truly love Him and allow Him to love us.  

 

All these months later, I still laugh to myself about Andy’s shirt.   It was only pressed for the sake of appearance.  Our relationship with God must be genuine. We cannot just for appearances have the parts that show look nice.   It is one thing that we cannot fake.   For sooner or later, the truth will come out.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to genuinely love you and not be fake.  Amen.