Life Hack #8 - Faking It

Life Hack #8:

God isn't looking for those who are able to do a good 'pantomime' - improvising through all of life. The goal God has for each of us is to settle into our calling, not having to 'pretend' our way through life. If you have ever heard that adage to 'fake it till you make it', you might just have found yourself believing if you 'faked' something long enough it, you'd eventually realize it. Truth be told, we seldom 'make it' just by 'faking it'. A 'mime' is an imitator, but they aren't really experiencing the 'reality' of the character they are assuming. God is looking at each of us as unique individuals, knowing very well that we might just try to 'imitate' Christ's actions, but not really understand fully the character of Christ that performed those actions.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

What did Paul have in mind when he told the Ephesian church to 'imitate God'? The answer is right there in the passage. We are to live a life filled with genuine love - having Christ as our example. How did he display his love - he offered himself for us. Did Paul intend for us to 'fake it till we make it' where it applies to living this life 'filled with love'? We might not understand fully how much Christ loves us until we meet him at heaven's gates but trust me on this one - his love is expressed to us each and every day in his unending grace. If we extend grace in even the tiniest of measures today, we are 'imitating' the actions of Christ. Grace is unmerited favor - giving another something better than what they deserve. In everything we do, we are to be 'grace-filled'. This is the ultimate expression of love - not the fake kind - but the genuine love of Christ.

As you and I both know, extending grace might just be the hardest thing we can do at times. We might 'pretend' to be grace-filled, but on the inside, we are chatting at the bit. We want to say something that isn't kind. We desire to put that other person in their place. We want to show them just how much they hurt us. I get it - it isn't always easy to be gracious. But...God never asks us to 'pretend' to be gracious - we never 'pantomime' grace. He tells us to continually lean into him, bringing those hurts and cares to him FIRST, then allow him to bring grace to the surface instead of whatever it is that might be our first response to the circumstances. Hard as it might be, grace is bound to surface in place of that response when we actually give the hurt to God right at that moment. A 'mime' is an imitator - nothing is real about what he displays. His main goal is to entertain. God doesn't need 'entertainers' in his kingdom - he needs gracious servants who will do the work of displaying the reality of Christ's grace to a hurting and fallen world. Just sayin!