Get Real!

Tonight, I had the privilege of sitting down with my 17 year old son to watch a movie...something that is becoming more and more rare (gulp!). We watched the Jim Carey movie "Liar Liar". Now, I'm not particularly a fan of Jim Carey's movies, but this one is different than most. It's not a new movie, and one I'd seen before. While watching the story unfold, I couldn't help but think of how his character represents so many people. We sound different most of the time, than the way we truly feel. And yes...feelings lie. But if you get too caught up in tapping down those feelings of unworthiness and insecurity, you can't address some of the issues that hold us back from being all that we can be in life. You may have always heard it put "we put on our Sunday morning faces". It's true! I was talking to my friend Cyndi last week about this very thing. And various other friends have expressed the same desire, which is to fellowship with people who are "for real". People who can be honest enough to say "I'm not where I should be spiritually" or "My marriage isn't what it needs to be" or "I'm tired of analyzing my relationships with others" or "We can't afford that" or "I'm not the Mom/Dad that my kids need me to be". I could go on & on. The truth is that we ALL have issues. Some are just more obvious than others.

I'm sure I know why Jesus chose to point out the fact that we all struggle with our sinful nature...He must have been SICK of people's inability to be genuine. In John 8:7, Jesus allowed the Pharisees and the teachers of the law to question His authority concerning the adulterous woman. How's that for an obvious issue? When Jesus addressed them, He pointed out the fact that we ALL have sin in our lives ("If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her"vs 7). It reminds me of when my darling daughters RUN to tell me something ugly that the other one has done to her. At those times, I just roll my eyes (because I certainly can't hear a thing they say) and when the tattle-telling dies down, I threaten EVERYBODY with a nap or time-out, or some other creative punishment (like my paddle!). I hate listening to them bicker over something they've all done! Imagine how Jesus must have felt listening to constant complaints and arguments, a lot of which questioned His authority to solve those problems. No wonder He so blessed the humble in heart! It was a breath of fresh air for someone to say "Lord, I need help...not my neighbor...not the adulterous woman...ME!". The same way it's refreshing for people to be honest about life.

Did you realize that when you are honest about your challenges, God grants grace, mercy, peace, and...dare I say?...solutions? Look at verse 10 & 11. The adulterous woman recognized Jesus' authority, which brought her to the resolution of her problem. He spoke to her..."Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"...no one, sir..."then go now and leave your life of sin.". When her issues were exposed to Christ, He told her how to deal with them. Did she walk away from that experience with not a care in the world? No. But her life was forever changed by the One who breathed it into her lungs. See...God is interested in your authenticity and a real healing. He is not interested in the image you desire for others to see. He knows exactly what problems you face and what to do about those problems. And because He already knows...it's a complete waste of time for you to be anything other than who He created you to be! And guess what??!!! That includes dealing with unpleasant issues that arise in our lives. It's how our character is built strong. And it's how we minister to other people.

I can tell you that the little boy in the movie didn't appreciate having a Dad who was more interested in his image and what other's might think of him (not to mention the money!), than in being his Daddy! And in the end, when the Dad was willing to admit to himself (after admitting to everyone else!!!) that he was not living a truthful life, his family was reconciled. Not without heartache along the way, but definately better than being a "Liar Liar"!

The popcicle picture is of Luke. He REALly enjoyed his first creamcicle!