Matthew 6:1 – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”  NASB

Most, if not all, of us know or have known of people who relished the spotlight and attention.  They did philanthropic deeds, put their best foot forward, and put on the dog (so to speak) when they knew they were being observed, but when no one was looking, they were quite different. 

I observed a professional athlete once who, when the cameras were on him, was all smiles and courteous, even signed an autograph or two.  But the moment the camera crew went to another location, he was rude, arrogant, and dismissive of anyone trying to get near him.  Another athlete in the same event continued talking to the spectators and fans for a full hour, signing autographs, and learning about the people.  One was all show but no substance; the other was genuine on or off camera.  I gained respect for one and lost all respect for the other.  I will not tell you who they were; it is not important what they did is.

In Christianity, the Lord Jesus advised that if we practice our righteousness or faux Christianity to be seen and lauded by men, we will be genuinely disappointed on that final day when we stand before God.  The words ‘well done, my good and faithful servant’ will not be heard.  Jesus said there would be no reward from the Father; the praise of men is all we will get in this life or the next.  You are what you are when no one is around.  It would be far better to be real, honest, and who you really are all the time.  That way, you never have to be afraid that someone will see or hear you out of character or costume.

That is a philosophy I adopted long ago for my life.  I am what I am at all times!  What you see is what you get.  I do not change when in the pulpit, sitting in the pew, at a party, prayer meeting, or in the woods hunting.  I am the same all the time.  That has not always been the case, and I would put on a mask when I went to church because I was the preacher and could not have problems, be down, disappointed, or ever battle depression. I was trying to be a spiritual Superman!  

That became so tiring that the Holy Spirit arrested me one day and said, “Stop being a Phoney!”  Of course, I protested and gave my well-rehearsed argument about why I had to be like I was, only to hear the Spirit of God say, “PHONEY! PHONEY! PHONEY!”  It took me a few encounters like that to fess up and repent.  From that day to this, I am what I am.  You either like me or you do not. 

One thing you will always find is that I am the same consistently.  I try to never wear a mask, hide behind some religious cliché, or perform.  It is too tiring and hard to remember how you are supposed to be at different times and occasions.  I just let the Holy Spirit reveal flaws and all that I am.  I have been happier that way and, frankly, more effective than ever in my labors for the Kingdom. 

I am not, and you are not a ‘Show Pony.’ We are real humans who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and have flaws and shortcomings.  We face problems like everyone else.  You fail at times, and you make mistakes.  Be real! Be who you are at the level you are spiritually.  You are a work in progress and never forget it.  Ultimately, people will appreciate your honesty, and while some super religious people may be turned off by how you live in the real world, they did the same to Jesus, so do not worry about it.

May God be with you as you go through your day!