Glass House Living

Donnie Dunagan was a tough marine.  He was a drill sergeant, shot through his left knee, saved two lives during his career in the military, and was decorated for bravery several times over.  However, all that courage in the military pales in comparison to a fact that Donnie kept hidden since he was a child. 

Donnie had a secret... and for a long time refused to live a transparent life. 

Over the past week, Steph and I have been living inside an actual glass house on our Cooper City campus.  We now know what it’s like to be stared at... commented on by people logged in to the page to watch... and have our lives put on display.   We do it willingly to show the world what our relationship really looks like.  No pretense or cover-ups.  Not that what we do is perfect... but what people are seeing is honest.  All of it is out there... mistakes that we make, communication challenges that we have, victories, and setbacks.  All of it is public knowledge.  No secrets or lies.

Fact is...God wants all of us to be real.  Transparent.  To live our lives with integrity knowing full well that people are watching and making notes.  Are we telling the truth?  Is who people see in our offices the same person that we see in the mirror each morning?  How authentic are we really? 

When Moses received the ten commandments from God, they included the one found in Exodus 20:16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”  In other words, don’t lie.  Don’t make up stories about others or yourself.  Stop warping things.  Live openly and let the light of God shine through and illuminate all the corners of your life.   

Are you living an authentic life?  Keeping any secrets so as to deceive others?  Only you know that answer.  Just like Donnie Dunagan did.

What Donnie didn’t reveal to the rookie recruits that he was training was the fact that before he joined the service he had been a child actor. The gruff, screaming, cursing, shouting drill instructor’s claim to fame?  He was the voice of Bambi from the Walt Disney cartoon in 1942. 

Gentle sweet Bambi.  

Some of us are covering up something far more serious.  And every day we live an inauthentic life, the secret gets easier and easier to keep.  Dare to be real.  Accept the challenge of a “glass house” lifestyle... allowing others to see and experience who you really are.  Your past doesn’t define you and your present can be changed to reflect the light of Christ.  It may not be the easiest thing to start doing... but the payoff is worth it.   You were meant for so much more than living a lie. 

You were meant for greatness.  REAL greatness. 

Real

Pastor Stephen Kingsley walked into a restaurant to have a warm bowl of chili.  It was freezing outside… the snow piling up just outside the front door.  He walked to the counter, ordered his food and coffee, and waited patiently.  In the corner of the room, an image on the television caught his eye.  It was a closeup of a fireplace… it’s flames dancing randomly across the screen.  He says that maybe it was just because it was cold outside… but he couldn’t take his eyes off the video fireplace.

Have you ever seen anything like that?  A fake fireplace?  All image but no heat?  Maybe not, but you might have known someone like that.  All commitment, no execution.  All talk, no action.  All carrying on, but no carrying out.  The Bible tells us not to be like that phony fireplace on the screen in James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  James tells us… don’t just look the part… don’t just say the words… don’t just promise yourself you’ll change… actually do it!  Be the real deal!  The world isn’t looking for fake fireplaces… they are looking for genuine believers fired up to be the light in this dark world.

On the Back

There's an old baseball saying, "You are the ballplayer it says you are on the back of your baseball card."  Baseball players (like everyone else) tend to make up excuses for bad play.  They exaggerate the truth and sometimes blame it on others.  But no matter what they say... the stats don’t lie.  Hits... runs... errors... all there in black and white.  No matter what the front of the card might look like... the real player and his ability (or lack thereof) is revealed on the reverse.

Many of us are just like those ball players.  We choose poorly and blame our environment.  We become disobedient in our giving and blame the economy.  We stop praying and blame God when we struggle with faith.   The Bible says in Galatians 6, “For we are each responsible for our own conduct”  God says... we ARE the player on the back of the card.  He wants us to admit our faults... learn from them... make the changes we need to... and work toward becoming the all-star that He has created us to be! 

Real Thing

“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

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Paul from 1 Corinthians 11:1

     It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  If that’s the case, human beings are a very flattering lot.   All of us spend so much time trying to act like someone else.  We style our hair to match our favorite actor... buy shoes to help us dunk like LeBron... maybe even change the way we speak to better blend in to our workspace or family.   Sometimes we are imitating without even realizing it.  The mannerisms we picked up from mom... the quick temper of our dad... the calming attitude of grandma... sharing the wisdom of grandfather.   All of these are a part of who we are... they are the “us” that people see... 

     Unfortunately, however, through all of these imitations... sometimes we forget who we really are.  We’ve been playing the part so long we don’t remember what our face looks like without the mask on it.  Who we were created to be is lost and replaced with who we think others want to see.  

  There’s an often-repeated story of a contest that happened long ago.  Famed actor, Charlie Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest.  He came in third.

Sometimes people can’t recognize the real thing anymore.  When you want to be the real you... you can’t.  You have a part you must play... happy wife, content husband, vigilant employee, concerned brother, deep thinker, party guy... the list goes on.  The real you has been replaced by an unrecognizable facsimile.  You were created for more.

   You were made by God to be special, unique, and wonderfully knitted together.  Instead of imitating others... God wants us to imitate Him.  When we do this, we maintain our personal identity, help others to see the risen Christ in us, and grow to reach our God-potential.  How do we learn how to act like God?  Read His word, stay plugged in to His church, and lean on close Christian friends that will hold you accountable if you try to become anyone other than Christ.   

    Let’s make every effort to make the real us reflect the real Christ.  It is my prayer that someday you will be able to say the same thing as Paul did in today’s second verse... imitate me because, in doing so, you will be acting just like Jesus.  

Back of the Card

There's an old baseball saying, "You are the ballplayer it says you are on the back of your baseball card."  Baseball players (like everyone else) tend to make up excuses for bad play.  They exaggerate the truth and sometimes blame it on others.  But no matter what they say... the stats don’t lie.  Hits... runs... errors... all there in black and white.  No matter what the front of the card might look like... the real player and his ability (or lack thereof) is revealed on the reverse.

Many of us are just like those ball players.  We choose poorly and blame our environment.  We become disobedient in our giving and blame the economy.  We stop praying and blame God when we struggle with faith.   The Bible says in Galatians 6, “For we are each responsible for our own conduct”  God says... we ARE the player on the back of the card.  He wants us to admit our faults... learn from them... make the changes we need to... and work toward becoming the all-star that He has created us to be!   

In Stock?

I was shopping in the mall last week and saw a shirt in the window that I was interested in.  I went inside to talk to the clerk and told her that I would like that particular shirt in my size.  Her reply?  We don’t have it in stock.  I checked the shirt in the window... and sure enough, it was my size!  I told her, “I’ll just take this one!”  She quickly told me that it wasn’t for sale... that the shirts in the window were for “display only”.

That got me thinking about Romans chapter 2... “And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”  What in my life...or your life... is “for display only”?  Are we being genuine, real, authentic... or is there something we are trying to keep a secret from those around us?  Take a few minutes today and look at your life... at your “store window.”  Is what you’re showing others really “in stock” or just “display only”  Let’s do our very best to be the people we tell others we are.  

Fake Fire

Pastor Stephen Kingsley walked into a restaurant to have a warm bowl of chili.  It was freezing outside… the snow piling up just outside the front door.  He walked to the counter, ordered his food and coffee, and waited patiently.  In the corner of the room, an image on the television caught his eye.  It was a closeup of a fireplace… it’s flames dancing randomly across the screen.  He says that maybe it was just because it was cold outside… but he couldn’t take his eyes off the video fireplace.

Have you ever seen anything like that?  A fake fireplace?  All image but no heat?  Maybe not, but you might have known someone like that.  All commitment, no execution.  All talk, no action.  All carrying on, but no carrying out.  The Bible tells us not to be like that phony fireplace on the screen in James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  James tells us… don’t just look the part… don’t just say the words… don’t just promise yourself you’ll change… actually do it!  Be the real deal!  The world isn’t looking for fake fireplaces… they are looking for genuine believers fired up to be the light in this dark world.  

Real

In the world of computing, once in awhile you see the acronym WYSIWYG (pronounced: wizz E wig). This stands for "What You See Is What You Get"... The program has been written so that whatever you are typing into an application or document is exactly what someone might see on the screen or out of the printer. No surprises or changes...you know exactly what to expect.

I want you to think about this question... how many real people do you know? How many of your friends and family would you consider to be WYSIWYG?

Jesus is the perfect example of being real. He didn't pretend to be someone He wasn't...He didn't bend the truth to project an image...and He didn't allow the opinions of those around Him to change His way of doing things. Jesus is genuine. He got down on his hands and knees and scrubbed the feet of the men He was pouring His life into. A perfect example of leadership, humility, grace, and servanthood. Why was this so easy for Christ to do? Because it was who He is....

Pretending to act like somebody you aren't requires too much valuable energy. It distorts your thinking, ruins your ability to have authentic relationships, and forces you to remember which persona goes with which group of people. Lies develop...trust breaks...and people begin to attach themselves to the you from your brain rather than the you that's in your heart. 

Dare to be different. Shed the artificial skin and embrace the way Christ created you to be. The Bible calls us "wonderfully made" and a "masterpiece". Why cover up God's handiwork with a cloud of fakery and deceptiveness. It may take some digging to find the real you again...but it's worth it. Discover who God made you to be and live it out...be real.

Display Only?

I was shopping in the mall last week and saw a shirt in the window that I was interested in.  I went inside to talk to the clerk and told her that I would like that particular shirt in my size.  Her reply?  We don’t have it in stock.  I checked the shirt in the window... and sure enough, it was my size!  I told her, “I’ll just take this one!”  She quickly told me that it wasn’t for sale... that the shirts in the window were for “display only”.

That got me thinking about Romans chapter 2... “And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”  What in my life...or your life... is “for display only”?  Are we being genuine, real, authentic... or is there something we are trying to keep a secret from those around us?  Take a few minutes today and look at your life... at your “store window.”  Is what you’re showing others really “in stock” or just “display only”  Let’s do our very best to be the people we tell others we are.