Time To Be Real

A few weeks ago President Obama took another oath of office for his second term. I find it amazing that President Obama stood in our nations capital, placed his hand on the former President Lincoln's Bible, and swore to fulfill his duties as President of the United States. All this on the same day that we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King. A black President being sworn into the highest office in our country, on a national holiday honoring another black man who cared and died for the civil rights of all people. Among the many festivities of the ceremony, Beyonce sang the national anthem. God has gifted her with such an incredible voice. As good as it was, rumors began to fly that she lip-synched the national anthem. On the news today, Beyonce confessed she did lip-synch, and then proceeded to sing the national anthem acappella. Beautifully done, once again. Besides it being a slow day in the news room, I wondered if this isn't a cry from the masses for the authentic. They want it real. Genuine and with raw talent. There is something about a live performance, with all the different pressures working against you, from the weather, to the orchestra, to the large crowds gathering close to hear. I remember shortly after I began a second job driving fork lift that one of my co-workers got in my face. All day long he bumped his fork lift into mine, he cut me off, raced around me, got in my way and in my face. I didn't say anything at the time, but wondered why he was doing it. The next week I asked him, "What's up with last week?" He replied, "Oh, I was just testing you to see if you got angry or not." Knowing I was a Christian and a Pastor, he wanted to know if I was real or a fake. He knew the difference. Jesus calls us to authenticity. It begins with an honest response to God, acknowledging our sin and our need of His forgiveness. At that moment, in complete humility, we find acceptance, love, grace and forgiveness. It is the moment we put our faith in Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to be real and authentic, in our character, in how we influence others, in how we practice our faith, in our relationships and in what we ask for in prayer. In his sermon, Jesus compares the hypocrite with the authentic follower. The hypocrite puts on the show. The authentic Christian seeks to do that which is honoring to the Lord, whether or not others see him. James says (2.26) that faith without expression is no faith at all. We can talk about faith all we want, but if we are not living it, then somehow we have transitioned from the real to surreal. Prayer: Lord, help me to be real, beginning with my honesty with You, and help me to live the life You call me to, one that is godly and genuinely based upon my faith in You. May I not play the game of religion, but honestly seek to live out my faith everyday. Amen.