16TH FEBRUARY
2 Corinthians 5:11-12
“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.”
Don’t trade authenticity for approval!
It’s natural to care what people think about us, but that so easily leads us into a fake, surface way of interacting with people. We want them to think well of us, so we perform for them the way we think they want to see us.
This is true when we are trying to be a witness for Jesus. We think that being a witness means our lives have to look perfect so that the people we are trying to share with will want to have Jesus in their lives too. But that way of presenting yourself is neither effective nor real. The message of Christianity is not that if you trust Christ your life will become easy or perfect or problem free. Christ in your life does not mean you don’t have stresses or inner struggles.
The point is that Christ becomes part of your real life with all its struggles and joys. You aren’t going through life in this fallen world on your own. You have an inner friend, guide, and helper who knows the pains of life, has experienced temptation and can help you in all those situations.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Do you often try to look like you have it all together? If so why do you think that is? How can you change?