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Trading Faces - July 14, 2006
I was looking through family pictures this week. I love oohing and ahhing over the pictures of all my teens as babies. I made an interesting observation in the photos of the entire family, though. When my teens were babies, my husband had a mustache and I didn't. Not a pretty turn of events, I must say. I wonder if we could make a bad reality show out of it. How about "Where's Their Hair Now? Or even better, something like "Trading Faces."
Have you ever met a two-faced person? Have you ever been one? Behaving one way at church, showing a totally different face at home, on the job or at school?
We need to always put our best face forward, as it were. Hypocrisy is one of the Lord's pet peeves. We're told in 1 Peter 2:1 to stop all the silly pretending. "So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." (NLT)
Jesus said in Mark 7:6, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" (NIV) It doesn't even really matter who has the furriest upper lip. Whatever my lip condition, I never want it to be out of sync with my heart. Hypocritical behavior is a bust. And when we have secret places of hypocrisy in our lives, they interfere with our worship. After all, there are no secret places that are hidden from Him. He sees our hearts. Isaiah 66:3 says, "The acts of the hypocrite's worship are as abominable to God as if they were offered to idols." (AMP)
Enough duplicity. We need to get rid of every two-faced tendency. When I meet Jesus face to face, I certainly don't want it to be face to face to FACE.
Rhonda Rhea is the author of "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge" and other insanely fun books, including "Amusing Grace" and "Turkey Soup for the Soul--Tastes Just Like Chicken." She is a radio personality and humor columnist and speaks at conferences and events nationwide. Rhonda lives in the St. Louis area with her pastor/husband and their five children. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.net.
I was looking through family pictures this week. I love oohing and ahhing over the pictures of all my teens as babies. I made an interesting observation in the photos of the entire family, though. When my teens were babies, my husband had a mustache and I didn't. Not a pretty turn of events, I must say. I wonder if we could make a bad reality show out of it. How about "Where's Their Hair Now? Or even better, something like "Trading Faces."
Have you ever met a two-faced person? Have you ever been one? Behaving one way at church, showing a totally different face at home, on the job or at school?
We need to always put our best face forward, as it were. Hypocrisy is one of the Lord's pet peeves. We're told in 1 Peter 2:1 to stop all the silly pretending. "So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." (NLT)
Jesus said in Mark 7:6, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" (NIV) It doesn't even really matter who has the furriest upper lip. Whatever my lip condition, I never want it to be out of sync with my heart. Hypocritical behavior is a bust. And when we have secret places of hypocrisy in our lives, they interfere with our worship. After all, there are no secret places that are hidden from Him. He sees our hearts. Isaiah 66:3 says, "The acts of the hypocrite's worship are as abominable to God as if they were offered to idols." (AMP)
Enough duplicity. We need to get rid of every two-faced tendency. When I meet Jesus face to face, I certainly don't want it to be face to face to FACE.
Rhonda Rhea is the author of "Who Put the Cat in the Fridge" and other insanely fun books, including "Amusing Grace" and "Turkey Soup for the Soul--Tastes Just Like Chicken." She is a radio personality and humor columnist and speaks at conferences and events nationwide. Rhonda lives in the St. Louis area with her pastor/husband and their five children. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.net.
