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This past weekend many children went out and trick or treated around their neighborhood. Most all those who did this dressed up in a costume or put on a mask and pretended to be something they are not. Some of the costumes were cute, some were funny, some were scary, while others were flat out hideous. Yet, it does not matter how different each costume may have appeared, they all had one thing in common; they all were used so people could pretend to be someone they are not.
Many times I’m afraid people do the same thing with their Christianity that children do during Halloween. They dress up in a costume and pretend to be something they are not. Each Sunday they put on their best clothes, grab their Bibles (if they can remember them), put a smile on their faces and attend worship service. They try to trick people into believing they are devoted followers of Christ although the kind of life that they live during the week is anything, but one that is devoted to following Christ. They say things they shouldn’t say, do things they shouldn’t do and neglect things they should be doing. Then they come to church on Sunday and pretend to be someone different than they really are the rest of the week, someone who is holy, hoping no one will notice that their Christianity is nothing more than a costume that they put on that morning.
When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as king, Samuel was sure God was going to anoint Eliab as king. However, God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Sam. 16:7).
God passed on Eliab and chose David, the youngest son of Jesse to be the next king because God saw in David what Samuel could not see, his heart. When we come to church on Sunday we must remember, we may be able to trick most of the people that we see, but we can never trick or fool God. For He does not see as man sees, because God can see our hearts!
Friends, God knows whether our Christianity is genuine or simply a costume. Let’s make sure the kind of lives that we are living during the week match the kind of lives we live on Sundays.
Now that’s Something to Think About! Justin
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