Point of Contrast 12: Authenticity
Shopping: The Great Social Experiment
The electronic doors slid open and I slipped into the department store smoothing back my
wayward curls. I intended only a quick dash into the store on my way home from the gym. At the counter I waited patiently, a little embarrassed at my shaggy condition and eager to spring back out of those sleek doors. The clerk behind the counter glanced up, I thought she acknowledged me, but she returned to her inventory. Another customer made her way to the counter and her professional attire and confident approach was met with warm service. "Did she just...ignore me because of the way I look?," I thought to myself. I let the thought go and spoke to the clerk warmly and directly and made my purchase. On a mission, I headed for the exit. When I got home, I realized that I had the wrong item and would have to make an exchange. An important event in the afternoon prompted a dramatic upgrade to my appearance, if you know what I mean. I did the extreme makeover and took my polished self back through those daunting doors. The same clerk was as the counter, but this time her response was swift and professional. I believe it came as a shock for her to realize that I was the same lady who purchased the item a few hours before. There was nothing different about me as a person, I had merely cleaned and ordered the outside. It reminded me of a sad reality and that is how easy it is to be two-faced. Being someone different in different circumstances and relationships is something we all have to deal with on a personal level. Are we authentic?
Everybody Does It This Way
The woman in Proverbs 7 had a big day in keeping her vows and making offerings. Mary Kassian explains that the type of offering she made was in response to an answered request. Imagine getting all cleaned up (which was required if you were going to make an offering) and cooking up a huge, extravagant gift to be offered in a religious ceremony. Washing and presenting oneself clean and prepared for the offering required planning and preparation. No doubt the people watching were impressed with this young woman's spirituality. She played herself up to be really religious. Who would suspect that a few hours later, the queen of hypocrisy would be making her bed and adorning herself for the extreme opposing behavior of adultery. In the streets, her enticing words reveal a two-faced woman, something Mary makes very plain in this chapter. One minute she is super spiritual, talking all about her vows and her faithful service. In the evening, she sets a trap for a young man and the only pleasure she seeks is her own. There is no concern for God or His ways. How could she justify her drastic sin?
Redefining God's Standard
The sage father in Proverbs is warning his son about this woman. He says "This is the way of the adulteress; she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wrong." Proverbs 30:20
She has redefined God and His standards as what she wants. Patterns in the behavior of the two-faced person spill out in day to day life, patterns that redefine what is right according to what self desires. There is GREAT DANGER in pretending to be something that we are not. God is never fooled by our "spiritual" rituals; He knows our hearts and He cares about our deepest selves. If we choose to settle for surface acts of worship, one day our hearts will be broken because we never took hold of real forgiveness and worked to rid our lives of sinful pretense. As long as we are pretenders, we remove ourselves from the deep cleansing and peace that obedience and fellowship with Him brings!
She has redefined God and His standards as what she wants. Patterns in the behavior of the two-faced person spill out in day to day life, patterns that redefine what is right according to what self desires. There is GREAT DANGER in pretending to be something that we are not. God is never fooled by our "spiritual" rituals; He knows our hearts and He cares about our deepest selves. If we choose to settle for surface acts of worship, one day our hearts will be broken because we never took hold of real forgiveness and worked to rid our lives of sinful pretense. As long as we are pretenders, we remove ourselves from the deep cleansing and peace that obedience and fellowship with Him brings!
Designer Insights
Are you struggling with hypocrisy? Mary gives seven areas where hypocrisy expresses itself. A contradiction between who you really are and who you pretend to be tells the truth about you. If you are a girl who appears to seek God, but really just wants God to indulge you, then you are also faking true faith. External appearances don't match the heart if you are playing a spiritual role. You can half way obey the things you know to do and rationalize your way through the things you know are wrong, if your heart is not genuine. It is really easy to look down on others with contempt who are not living up to the standard you pretend to hold. You are a chameleon in your conduct changing your attitude and behavior to match your circumstances; if you don't really know who you are you conform to the crowd you are with.
What Does God Say About This?
Read Colossians 2:8 Paul says don't let deceptive empty ideas take you captive.
Read the rest of Colossians 2 and see if you can define "false humility."
May God help us to be authentic women deep in our hearts so that we enjoy fellowship with Him and live in joyful obedience!
Read Colossians 2:8 Paul says don't let deceptive empty ideas take you captive.
- Would you agree that judging based on outward appearance is a hollow and empty way to think?
- Would you agree that doing things to get attention and approval from people when they are not true to you is equally empty?
- Why do you think it is so easy for us to focus on the approval of people?
Read the rest of Colossians 2 and see if you can define "false humility."
May God help us to be authentic women deep in our hearts so that we enjoy fellowship with Him and live in joyful obedience!
