pretending??

There is a great story in the Bible about a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, who make a plot together to lie in front of the church and look good for everyone to see. Some people had sold some properties and given all the money to the apostles so it could be used to help the needy. Ananias and Sapphira decide they are going to do the some thing so that people will think they are “super saints” and that they have great faith. Only their plan involves a little deceit, they decide they are going to keep some of the money for themselves but still tell the church that they gave all the money they got.
Problem is, you can’t trick the Holy Spirit, they could have tricked the people and looked like great people but the Holy Spirit called them on it. When Ananias brings the money to Peter, he asks him is this all the money, and when he insists it is he dies instantly. His wife Sapphira comes in a few hours later with the same story. After being questioned, just like her husband she is also died instantly. No one can believe it the church is in shock.
The point of the story is not about the money, but it is about them trying to lie to God and to the church so they will look like great “Christians”. They tried to be great pretenders, they were hypocrites (you know the people everyone always complains about). But the unfortunate things is that this happens all too often with Christians. We don’t necessarily say we sold property and lie about how much money we gave from the sale, we do it in more subtle ways.
We become great pretenders in other areas. We wouldn’t want anyone to think that we weren’t “super saints” so we never let on that we do anything wrong or that we have fallen short. We do all the right things at all the right times and we act like our lives are just great when really that isn’t true. Ever had one of those Sunday mornings where everything has gone wrong and you have had a terrible morning. The kids won’t do what they are supposed to, your hair won’t do right, and you and your spouse have been arguing, but as soon as you get to the door of the church you paint on your church smile and when someone asks how you are doing you say “great, how bout you”. We pretend to have it all together instead of letting others know that we have struggles just like they do.
Now the problem is we have gotten so good at it that the whole church does the same thing. We all just go to church and pretend that all is well, and we can’t help each other because we can’t let someone know we need the help. We have become great pretenders. We couldn’t possibly come to the altar and pray a prayer of confession because what would others think-we have our image to keep up, we have to keep everyone thinking we are “super saints”. Now it has gotten so far out of hand how can we fix it (even the pastors do it, they have to stay on their spiritual pedestal)? Why is it so hard to just live our lives and let God be part of them mess and all. We aren’t fooling Him anyway. He wants to be part of our lives and be able to help us.
Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t punish our hypocrisy the way he did theirs! Thank God for mercy. We need to get back to having an open and honest life in front of God. Let’s quit all the pretending, and start living the abundant life that is promised (that doesn’t mean there won’t be any bad days, but God will be there along the way). It starts with honesty.