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!

Finding the right fit

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 NLT)

Have you ever made one of those really dumb moves where you tried to imitate something you saw, like a style someone was wearing or they way they were behaving, only to find the way you managed to pull it off just was a total fail? I have! You don't realize you are even doing it sometimes until you look back in horror or humor at what has just occurred! When I try to find a new hairstyle, I look at photos in magazines, watch people on TV who seem to have a style I admire, etc. When I ask the beautician if she can do that with my hair, inevitably she ways "no". Why? My hair won't conform to that cut. There are a lot of times when we try to "conform" to some particular way of living only to find we are not really cut out for it! The truth is that God made us to conform to a particular "style" of living that just doesn't line up with much this world has to offer.

We might try to imitate a lot of things in this lifetime we are given, finding more of them add up on the "fail" side of the list rather than the "awesome" side. It isn't unlikely that some of us find ourselves with a full journal of "fails" and a short list of "awesome"! One thing I have noticed - the more I try to imitate Christ, the closer things get to being added to the "awesome" side of the list! When we imitate something, there are basically a couple meanings:

1) to follow as a pattern, model, or example;

2) to be or appear like; and

3) to produce a copy of something.

When we think of imitating Christ, all three of these carry some meaning. First, we are to constantly keep in mind the example he set out as he took on human form and walked this earth. He modeled the behavior we are to model - something tangible we can actually wrap our arms around. He modeled forgiveness, how kindness can be the hallmark of all you do, and even how to take care of family and friends. Second, we often think we can just try to "look like" someone else, but deep down inside, we aren't that individual. When we keep his example in the forefront and strive to imitate that modeled behavior, we do a lot more than "look like" Jesus - we become like him. Lastly, the very term "Christian" means to be "like Christ". All of what Jesus taught and modeled was that of being made new - being made in his image and taking on his personality, traits, and behaviors. In essence, we become "copies" because he imprints our lives with his presence, peace, and perfection.

We don't always find the "fit" perfect at first, but when we actually pause to consider it, the "fit" might not seem like the right one to begin with, but it perfectly "frames" and "adorns" our lives with all the beauty we long for in the first place! Just sayin!