Do You Like Me Now?

Brian Williams, the NBC news anchor, embellished the story of his experiences while covering the war in Iraq. He said the helicopter in which he rode came under rocket fire. The facts did not support his story.  Now his professional life is on the line, a relatively small lie undermines his integrity.  He is not the first or only person to lie. Little kids do it when they get caught. Teenagers do it to get their own way.  Adults do it for the same reasons and another – vanity!  Mr. Williams ‘puffed’ his story, adding drama, making it seem that it was in greater danger.  None other than Hillary Clinton did a few years ago, too. She, too, claimed to have come under fire in a war zone and later others pointed out her lie.

Lies complicate life, one requiring another, the snowball effect eventually overtaking the person who started with a little dishonesty. Integrity gives freedom!  A person who lives honestly, who is content to be who she is, no more, no less;  lives without fear of being found out, without fear of exposure.  We all know this, but when pressure comes, we too often forget it. The pithy wisdom of Proverbs reminds us that "Good people are guided by their honesty; treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty." (Proverbs 11:3, NLT)

The greater risk of dishonesty for most of us is born from the very human and all too common desire to please other people. Vanity tempts us all, Christian! Who does not like to be admired? Who does not wonder, at least some of the time, what others think?  “Do they like me?” we ask.  “Do they think I am a good parent?” we wonder. We walk past the mirror and catch a glimpse of our face and what do we think at that moment?  My guess it is something about how others see us!  When we have become mature emotionally and spiritually, we stop serving others and become honest to God, authentic, rock solid people.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus got to the heart of the matter.  He forbade making our relationship with God into a public performance! “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1, NLT)   The Message amplifies the challenge - “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively." (Matthew 6:1-4, The Message)

Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher of the 19^th century, gave us the phrase, “an audience of One.”  The approval we desire should be sought only from Him, for only God knows the true motives of our heart. Only God can contextualize our choice today in the flow of His purposes and our opportunities.  If we want to be free from the sin of people-pleasing, if we desire real integrity, our eyes must be on Him alone.

Here’s the word from the Word, a prayer for integrity.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

Amen

__________

Search me, O God,

And know my heart today;

Try me, O Savior,

Know my thoughts, I pray.

See if there be

Some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from every sin

And set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord,

For cleansing me from sin;

Fulfill Thy Word,

And make me pure within.

Fill me with fire

Where once I burned with shame;

Grant my desire

To magnify Thy Name.

Lord, take my life,

And make it wholly Thine;

Fill my poor heart

With Thy great love divine.

Take all my will,

My passion, self and pride;

I now surrender, Lord

In me abide.

O Holy Ghost,

Revival comes from Thee;

Send a revival,

Start the work in me.

Thy Word declares

Thou wilt supply our need;

For blessings now,

O Lord, I humbly plead.

-          Edwin Orr