Based on “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young
My friend June took me to Italy with her last March and while we were there we saw a cathedral or two (on every street and one or two with streets of their own). Some of these fascinating buildings were fronted with incredibly ornate “facades” of stone or brick when the rest of the building was stucco or wood. Builders in the States use this concept by using more expensive stone or brick fronts with a less expensive type of exterior on the sides and back. Architecturally and economically speaking, facades are fine. Spiritually speaking, there’s no such thing as “a good facade.”
God calls us to be the same from the center of our beings to the expressions on our faces. While it may seem easier to put up a facade in public and take off the mask in private, it’s an exhausting way to live and someone will eventually knock on our back doors. I know of what I speak: I’ve had to buck up and make myself “do” things as a minister’s wife when three-fourths of me wanted to stay home and wallow in self-pity, anger or pure rebellion.
Why do we put up facades? Obviously we’re hiding something. Some people put up word facades, talking the Christian talk but never intending to apply it to their lives outside of church. Others put up facades of silence and distance to keep people from learning their weaknesses. My least favorite facade is the saccharine sweet facade that oozes an ooey-gooey substitute for love which ends up being a thin covering for bitterness, pettiness or meanness.
How do we break the habit of putting up “a good facade?” We break down the facade as if it were physical. We start by removing all masks and stained glass praying. We take down the bricks of defensiveness and excuses about our resistance to grow spiritually. We practice relaxing and being authentic with the Lord who knows all of it anyway. We get in the habit of being ourselves with Him first and learning to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We open ourselves to let Him fill our temples with all the beauty of His Spirit. We focus on who He is and invite Him to transform us into places He feels perfectly at home until we don't even notice when people knock at the back door.
Dear Father, Thank You for letting me be myself in Your Presence. I know we have tons to work on but what peace and sweet relief to know there's nothing I can tell You that You haven't heard before. You accept me in all the weakness and sin of any given moment yet You keep Your eye on what You're making me to be. Help me cooperate fully. Strengthen me to remove any remaining masks or pretensions. I want to live a life of integrity, one I can fully share with other growing, imperfect, incomplete temples. May You be our Cornerstone and our heart's hearth.
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7
“The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33:14
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’” Philippians 4:8-9
Thank you Robin! I needed this "sermon" today.
ReplyDeleteJohn