Reading the Fine Print

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Can you imagine if people could see the legal copy of our lives? Thankfully, most people cannot...at least so it seems. All of us struggle with some fine print at times. It shows up every time we state things about ourselves that are not completely true.

Why is it that we try to hide the truth about who we are from others around us? We do this for various reasons. On the surface, it's because we are trying to maintain some type of image. Dig a little deeper and you will find that it stems from a fear of rejection. At the very root, it's because we really don't comprehend God's love.

There's nothing greater than being loved by God. Experiencing God's love takes away the fear of rejection. In fact, 1 John 4:18 says that "...perfect love drives out all fear..." Once the fear of rejection is gone, we are able to truthfully represent ourselves to others in a healthy way.

This sets us free to do what God has made us to do: to know and be known. This obviously happens at different levels with different people. Not everyone will know us intimately. But God reveals himself through relationships with other believers. In this way, we know God more and the Enemy has less of a hold on us.

If you struggle with those tiny letters in your life, take some time to read about God's love for you (Romans 8; 1 John 3). Let his love wash away the fear in you and begin speaking the truth about who you are to others. Remember, He loves you no matter what!

The Heart of a Child

I used to be afraid to pray in public. I was concerned that I would say the wrong thing or sound dumb in front of others. As I matured in my faith, I began to realize that prayer was simply talking to God. I also realized that God is most concerned with our hearts and not simply if we just say the right words.

Cheryl and I allow our kids to pray in public on a regular basis. Kyrsten is learning now. In fact, she will not let us eat or go to bed unless she gets to pray first. The other night at the dinner table she prayed the funniest prayer. The first part was the same as normal. It was the last part that jumped out at me. It went something like this:

"My belly hurts, my belly hurts...my belly hurts, the food, daddy, mommy...(and this was the funny part!)and thank you for our food...in Cheezit's name, Amen."

IN CHEEZIT'S NAME? I just about died laughing. It brought such joy to my heart to hear Kyrsten pray. She's learning to talk to God. She doesn't always get the words right and neither do I for that matter, but there is no doubt in my mind that she connects with God.

I want to encourage you to talk regularly to God. Whether it's in public or in private, what matters most is the intent of your heart. By the way, take some time to listen too. He always gets the words right.

Anonymous Intimacy

We live in a digital world. In many ways, we are more connected than we have ever been. Think about it for a minute. We communicate with cell phones, texts, emails, instant messages, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, satellite, blogging, Skype...the list goes on and on. All of these forms of communication have their purpose; however, it's important that they never take the place of authentic community.

In his book Flickering Pixels, Shane Hipps warns against the trap of 'anonymous intimacy'. He says, "It provides just enough connection to keep us from pursuing real intimacy. In a virtual community, our contacts involve very little real risk and demand even less of us personally. Vulnerability is optional. A community that promises freedom from rejection and makes authentic emotional investment optional can be extremely appealing, remarkably efficient, and a lot more convenient."

True relationship building is often inconvenient and difficult, but it can be very rewarding! In fact, it's all a part of God's plan for his children. He never meant for us to be alone. We experience the blessings of Christ through relationships with others in a way that we do not when we are alone.

So the next time you send a text or make a "friend" on Facebook (I have 400 or so now!!!), remember that this kind of connecting can only take you so far. Lunch anyone?