Be authentic!

Much has been made in the media this week about Senator Hillary Clinton's speaking appearance in Selma, Alabama last weekend during which she attempted a Southern accent while quoting an old Gospel hymn. Apparently she was making an attempt to 'connect' with her audience, but it was so phony that it plays like a joke wherever it is shown on TV or the Internet. She made a mistake for which I imagine she is mortified on reflection. What makes the clip so comic is the completely forced attempt of a woman born in Illinois and educated in the Ivy League to be a good ole' gal from Alabama. She knows now, or at least she should, that the better road is just to be who she is. Sen. Clinton is not the first politician to trip over image-making that comes off as hollow, nor will she be the last.

Of much more concern to me than a politician's comedic attempt at a regional accent is the temptation - common to every Christian - to pretend to be someone or something we are not spiritually! Our desire to enjoy the approval of other people tempts us to cover our failings with professions of faith unmatched by the true attitude of our heart. Jesus speaks directly to this issue and He condemns it. Take a look.
"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. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. "And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?" (Matthew 6:1-5, The Message)

Just as the Senator's well-meaning but fake attempt at fitting in with her audience failed; any attempt you or I make at pretending to be better Christians than we really are will fail. Self-deception may make us the last to realize that we are making a joke out of our Christianity. One of the most frequent criticisms of Believers is hypocrisy, and sadly, it is a criticism that has real merit. Secret sins are often hidden away under religious robes, rhetorical prayers, and hymns sung without engaging our hearts.

One of the reasons that 12 Step recovery groups like AA work so well is that they invite people to 'come clean,' about themselves- to tell the good, the bad, the ugly truth. "Hello, my name is __________, and I'm an alcoholic." That introduction is not an excuse to go get drunk again. It is an admission of weakness that invites encouragement to change and sobriety. My sincere desire is to lead a community of Believers who share that sense of acceptance that leads to authenticity. I sometimes wonder if we should lead off our church services with an introduction like that used in AA, "Hello, I'm Jerry, and I'm a sinner, saved by God's grace alone." The Apostle Paul felt no need to pretend. He wrote of himself, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV)

Confessing our innate sinfulness does not create, as some say, an excuse for sin. It opens our lives up to the encouragement of our follow Believers, to self-examination, and to the work of the Spirit! It is a declaration of dependence. Paul reminds us about the folly of thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. "Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence." (1 Corinthians 10:12, The Message)

"Honest to God," is really a great phrase, when we really mean it. He sees us - naked, vulnerable, as we really are - and loves us deeply. So why do we pose and pretend? Don't make a joke of Jesus by adopting a phony religious tone in life. Be real. When you fail, admit it without excuse - to God, to others. When you find a measure of success, celebrate it - for what it is, nothing more, nothing less. If you're afraid, doubting, confused, tempted - find a faithful friend to whom you can unburden your heart and together take your needs to the Lord Jesus, an ever-present Source of help.

When live authentically, we find great freedom, and we become living proof of the goodness and glory of God that shows through our weaknesses. Be authentic, for God's sake, today.