Pretend and Dress-up

My 8 year old loves to dress up. When my sister gave him a mustache tattoo from a Grad night goody bag, he wore it proudly all day.

He loved to pretend that it was a real mustache . . . but let's face it; he wasn't fooling anyone. Anyone could see that he was still an 8 year old boy.

I have to admit that even I like to pretend once in a while. I like to dress up for a fun costume party, to wear silly outfits with my kids, or to act sophisticated in a formal dress on a date with my husband. (Yes, I have to pretend to be sophisticated.)

These are all appropriate ways for an adult to pretend. The danger comes when I pretend with God. I can fool my friends and acquaintances -- acting like I have it all together. I can say the right things, quote the right verses, sing the right songs, know all of the Bible stories . . . but I cannot fool God.

Psalm 139 tells me that God sees me for who I am, He knows my every action and behavior, He discerns my thoughts (verses 1-4; 13-18). This would be incredibly overwhelming and downright scary if I left out verse 5: "You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head."

In verse 24, at the end of the chapter, the psalmist comes to the conclusion of the matter. If God knows me so well (better than I know myself), "Point out anything in me that offends you . . ." (verse 24a) This request leads to the greatest reward of all: "and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (verse 24b)

I should want to be honest with God so that He can lead me to repentance. I mean, who doesn't want everlasting life, right?

While playing dress-up is fun, let's stop pretending with God. He can see through our mask anyway.