For you died to this life, and your real life
is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3
Most of us have seen
them—painted performing artists who are creative and entertaining in their
perfect stillness—live statues can fool us. Even up close it is difficult to
tell whether they are real or not. Children and adults alike are fascinated by
their realism.
Faux leather, faux fur,
and faux painting are universally trendy and acceptable. But we don’t want people
to be imposters. We want and demand authenticity from others. Are we willing to
be real in return?
Renowned author and
scholar, C. S. Lewis, once stated, “The prayer preceding all prayers is—‘May it
be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.’” That is my
prayer for each of us as we begin a new year. It seems so obvious, yet I
struggle to be real, especially with God.
Being real means
admitting our inadequacies, weaknesses, and failures. Grace allows us to do
this. Grace heals. How? Grace doesn’t imply that breaking God’s heart doesn’t
matter. Rather, grace acknowledges that we’ve all broken God’s heart—but He’s already
paid the price for reconciliation that we desperately try to pay ourselves.
When we dare to be real
with a holy God, grace frees us to be real with others and ourselves. We no
longer fear being destroyed by another person. It can be painful to be honest,
but the lasting benefits include renewed energy, peace, and genuine
relationships.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being real and giving me real life. I
don’t need to pretend or strive to be perfect to gain Your acceptance. I want
to begin this New Year with my heart
bowed and bared in confidence before You, believing You want to be close to me.
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