Colossians 2:6-7 Amplified Bible
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in all the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], 7 having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established [a]in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Christ-like or Christ-less?
What does it mean to fake it till you make it?
Fake it till you make it refers to the idea of
projecting a level of self-confidence in order to convince yourself that you can attain a goal that you feel as though you do not yet have the skills to achieve.
In behavioral psychology, the idea of “act as if” and “fake it till you make it” can be a pivotal therapeutic intervention.
This is simply because it is much easier to act ourselves into feeling better than to think ourselves into feeling better, be talked by someone into feeling better.
What causes fake life?
Being dishonest with yourself creates a fake life.
If you are not being honest and lying to yourself about the state of health, or the state of your peace, or happiness, you are living a fake life. The repertoire of lies that we say to others do not harm us as much as the lies we say unto ourselves.
It’s very likely you have heard the famous Las Vegas advertising tagline: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Think for a moment about what this actually implies.
Hey, you want to cheat on your spouse in Vegas? No problem, it all stays there.
Want to gamble away all your savings? Vegas will never tell.
Want to party until you puke? Fine. The smell will never make it to your home.
The implication of this approach is that it’s okay, even desirable, to live one way in complete secrecy in Las Vegas, then another “normal” way at home.
I fear that for Christians, too many live out their faith in a similar way.
“What happens away from church, stays away from church.”
This reveals a weak, shallow, empty faith that attracts an enormous weight of guilt and frankly, is a lousy way to live.
It’s a compartmentalized faith – a pick-and-choose lifestyle in which a person basically wanders and weaves at will in around and between a Christlike life and a Christ-less life.
Typically, such a person chooses to live God’s way when the church lights are on, sermons are preached, prayers are prayed and Christian friends are looking, but behind closed car and house doors, when no eye can see him, all bets are off.
Here’s my own personal experience following my open heart surgery: when I’m spiritually empty, I will naturally gravitate toward a compartmentalized faith.
I hate to admit it, but when I’m not feeling close to God, the actions of the world are attractive and even seductive to me. Thankfully, as I have matured in my faith, I have also learned how to recognize the signs of my spiritual emptiness.
Now I can usually catch myself before I experience the negative consequences of my actions.
I talk to a lot of Christians who believe living for God means not blowing it in big areas of life: committing adultery, stealing money, murder—kind of thing.
Wrong!
A non-compartmentalized, fully integrated faith means obedience in the small areas too.
Obedience to a managed thoughtful life, speaking kind words and the call to follow God’s way.
It’s what we think at night when no one is around.
It’s that extra jab we do (or don’t) when we have an argument with a friend or spouse. It’s the degree to which we keep (or lose) our cool while fighting traffic.
What’s the solution?
Obedience is much easier when we’re living topped off and spiritually refueled.
When we are consistent in connecting with God, our hearts are full and we’ll desire to live a consistent (non-compartmentalized) faith.
Today, Psalm 46:10-11 it, take time to refuel, by stopping, by being quiet and by making a connection with God.
This can take seconds or hours and it can take place anywhere and at any time.
GOING DEEPER:
In what areas of your life do you find yourself most likely to compartmentalize your faith?
Write out three reasons why you need to be spiritually refueled and focus on the one that gives you the biggest challenge.
In the name of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…
Praying …
Psalm 12 Easy-to-Read Version
To the director: With the sheminith. A song of David.
12 Save me, Lord!
We can no longer trust anyone!
All the good, loyal people are gone.
2 People lie to their neighbors.
They say whatever they think people want to hear.
3 The Lord should cut off their lying lips
and cut out their bragging tongues.
4 Those people think they can win any argument.
They say, “We are so good with words,
no one will be our master.”
5 They took advantage of the poor
and stole what little they had.
But the Lord knows what they did, and he says,
“I will rescue those who are poor and helpless,
and I will punish those who hurt them.”[a]
6 The Lord’s words are true and pure,
like silver purified by fire,
like silver melted seven times to make it perfectly pure.
7 Lord, take care of the helpless.
Protect them forever from the wicked people in this world.
8 The wicked are all around us,
and everyone thinks evil is something to be praised!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 