Day 14

"'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.'"

Matthew 23:27-28

I've been reading an absolutely wonderful book by Mark Hall, the lead singer of Casting Crowns. The book is Lifestories: Finding God's "Voice of Truth" Through Everyday Life, and he talks about writing many of the songs on Casting Crowns' first CD. This verse came up regarding the song "Stained Glass Masquerade." The song and the chapter deal extensively with our outward appearance as Christians. Do we plaster on a mask every day, pretending that being Christians means our lives are perfect? Do I have some sort of facade up to make sure people think my life is perfect just because I love Jesus?

Today's goal was to determine whether or not I live my life in a genuine way. We had the local ministerium breakfast this morning, and I listened not only to what I was saying, but what everyone was saying about their lives. We spent a lot of time talking about books we're reading, events we'd like to have, our connections in space and time, etc. But we didn't talk about the problems we're experiencing in ministry, the issues we have in our personal life, and the hurts and griefs we encounter on a daily basis. Even the local pastors can't minister to each other in their places of pain. What kind of facade do we put on for everyone else?

I learned a valuable lesson from this meal, and I hope to correct this problem in my life. If we put forth a perfect facade, how will people be introduced to a true Christian faith? Unless we share our sins and struggles, we will never be able to help other people let Jesus into their lives.