Disguises

This is a repost from a couple of years ago.

(Lessons from Jeroboam's Wife #2)

“Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself.”

“She shall feign herself (pretend) to be another woman.” (different looking from the wife of the king)

“Why feignest thou to be another?' 1 Kings 14:2,5-6

Are you like Jeroboam's wife? Do you try to disguise yourself? Is there something you are trying to hide? Are you pretending to be what you're not?

Here are a few disguises people wear.

The Happy Disguise

My husband and I once visited a family who were going through something awful. After telling us the bad news, the father laughed and joked most of the evening. If he hadn't told us what had happened in their family, we would never have guessed from the way he was acting. Yet underneath he must have been really hurting.

We used to have a young couple living next door to us who were very rough. When they had parties with their friends we would hear them all laughing together so loud. But then the next morning when their friends were gone we would hear them yelling and fighting. Or we might see a police car parked outside. It really struck me that people are often not as happy as they seem. You can laugh loudly while you're crying inside.

Proverbs 14:13 says Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Sometimes the most sad and empty people can act like the happiest people on earth. It's a disguise to cover their pain, insecurity, struggles or emptiness.

Are you trying to cover up a hurting heart by pretending nothing is up? Take your hurt to God in prayer, but don't be afraid to open up and share your troubles with someone who cares about you. Talking with the right person can be far more helpful than keeping it all inside. If people don't know, they won't pray for you and try to help you.

Be real!

The Religious Disguise

In Brother Andrew's book, God's Smuggler, he shares how he would go to church each Sunday with his parents. His parents thought he was sitting at the back, but he would actually slip out of church and just come back at the end. He would listen to the other comments people made about the sermon so he knew what it was about, then he would discuss the sermon too. His parents never suspected he hadn't been in church. He was wearing a religious disguise.

Are you the Christian that you appear to be? Are you a Christian 24/7? Is your faith real or are you just 'religious'? Are you a Christian at home?

The Worldly Disguise

It's easy to be a Christian when you're around other Christians. But when you're around people who don't believe the same way, it's easy to put on a disguise and pretend you're the same as them. It's easy to be ashamed of what you believe and blend in with the others.

 Sometimes we're ashamed to show who we really are.

What about you? Do people around you know you're a Christian? Or are you pretending to be what you're not?

Be real!