Joel 2:12-13  “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Are you for real or are you just putting on a show?  God doesn’t want or need some outward display of what we think He wants, He wants a heart change!  I am not real sure why we would think that “faking it” is going to do us any good.  It isn’t what other people think that matters, it is what God sees in our hearts.  God’s blessing, forgiveness and favor doesn’t come because your neighbor thinks you are wonderful and godly.  God looks at your heart and cares more about what is going on in there than anything you could possibly do to make others think you have it all together.

It was tradition for people back in Bible times to tear their clothes and put ashes on their heads when they were mourning or repenting and obviously God had seen enough of the outward show and wanted them to get serious about Him.  Who you really are comes out when there’s no one around to impress, so what are you like at home?  Are you better at showing the love of Christ and a godly attitudes when you are with friends or colleagues than you are with your family?  God is looking at your heart!  If you were to get a report on behaviors and attitudes at work and at home would they even come close to being the same?  What if you add in God’s report because He sees your heart attitudes and knows your thoughts, words and behaviors, is it even close to what “people” think about you?

Take a moment today to evaluate your “heart condition”; how pleasing is it to God?  Is He pleased or is He frustrated because it is obvious that you don’t care what He thinks, you are too busy trying to “act” like you are something you aren’t so others will look at you and praise you for who they think you are?  God wants to bless you and He wants to give you His favor on your life, but it is time to stop for a minute and evaluate your heart condition to see why you really do what you do and who is it really that you are choosing to impress?  My challenge to you today is to “Get Real” if you aren’t!  No more faking it, find someone you can be real with and tell them the areas you are struggling with, let go of the pride that is holding you back worrying about what someone might think if you level with them – trust me, they aren’t perfect either and if you pray for godly direction to find the right person to walk with you through this you may find they have struggled in the same ways and God has brought them through to the other side so they can help you too!  Do not delay, faking it will hold you back from all the goodness of God!  Those people who are “impressed” with you can do nothing to bring God’s favor and blessing to your life.  If you are wanting to be used by God then now is the time to get real with Him and confess your struggles and attitudes and ask Him to guide you into all godliness today!  He wants to give you victory in every area of your life but He can do nothing until you are Real with yourself, others and Him!

Quote:  “Reputation is what others think about you; character is what God knows about you.”  Adrian Rogers