Still others would require a first and last name, like Princess
Diana, (not a first name but that is how she was known), Brooks Robinson, Abe
Lincoln, FDR, Jimmy Connors, Nadia Comaneci, George Jones, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Landon, C.S. Lewis or
Catherine Marshall and a host of others, that immediately upon hearing
(depending on age and interest), creates images in your mind of that person or
the personality they played on television, what they did historically, song
they sang, sport they participated in, or book they wrote.
Each
of the people named have left a legacy and definite impressions on those who
knew of them. People either loved them
or hated them! What they did in public, and often in their personal lives, had an impact on what people thought of them!
There are those who project a completely different persona than they are
in “real life.” Their goal is to build a
“reputation.” Sometimes it’s for good,
other times not so much!
Our
lives aren’t much different. If someone
said my name in a crowd of people I did not already know, it’s likely no one
would have a clue who I was! But it’s
what I do around those I know, that will make a difference! My day to day life should mirror my beliefs
rather than trying to be someone (or something) I am not.
There
are those who prefer to live in a luxurious home in an affluent neighborhood,
drive an expensive car, wear fine clothes and eat only in exclusive restaurants. Yet, often it is people living on
credit! They don’t really own their
house, car or much of what is in it!
They shop with “plastic,” maxing out their credit cards and then getting
another! They want those they know, to
think of them as wealthy and well-to-do.
The
opposite of those who try to make you think they are wealthy, are
those who are well off but live the lives of paupers. They penny pinch and make us think of
Scrooge, denying themselves and their families of what they even need.
Our
spiritual life is often another area where we project images that aren’t always
true. We attend every service at our
local church, are active in meetings and events as they arise within the
congregation. We teach Sunday School
classes and workshops, and tithe regularly.
We volunteer our time whenever we can, yet this is all a façade. Our relationship with the Father is sparse at
best. We seldom pray and read our Bible
so rarely we brush off the week’s worth of dust since the last time we carried
it with us to church.
Why
do we do this? Who suffers? Every person who willfully is an “Outward
Christian only,” suffers hugely! We’re
not only deceiving others; we are deceiving ourselves. We need to look inward at our “deceitful
heart” and make immediate changes. Our
eternal destiny demands it!
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