Under the guise of “setting a good example”, Christians often times can come across as disingenuousness, inauthentic and even hypocritical. No one likes a fake, in fact, most of us despise them.
Christians need to be “real’. We can do this by admitting and confessing our flaws. This is a biblical idea.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16).
“If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).
The media is always replete with stories of the secret lives of politicians and religious leaders. We should do everything we can to make sure we never portray ourselves as “better”. Be willing to admit your sins and talk about them.
Trust can easily be developed through confession, honesty and openness. Do not ever act like you are above needing to keep God’s commandments. Because of social media, it is real easy to develop a persona that is not entirely factual. Our world knows this; it is well aware that a picture can be photoshopped. Christians, especially church leaders, often live “photoshopped lives”.
In a world of fakes, people are looking for something real and authentic. They are hurting and in need of Jesus. If we act like we have it all figured out, we will never reach them. If we develop relationships with people through openness we will help in creating much needed trust that all people desire.
Let’s be trustworthy, let’s be honest, let’s be real!