Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Authentic Lives

The first thing they did was hide. Earth's first couple, aware of their failure, fabricated self-made coverings and ducked into the trees. When God showed up (He always does) He asked a question. This is the question God asked Adam: Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9)

Now God didn't ask this question because Adam's camouflage worked so well. It wasn't as if God is saying, “Olly, Olly Oxen Free! I have no idea where you are, come on out.” God’s questions are always for our benefit, not His. As it turns out, this is a question God asks us every day, “Where are you? What are you hiding behind?”. Ever since the beginning we have been tempted to hide and cover. We are afraid to reveal our imperfections; afraid of being vulnerable. But just like with our first father, God invites us to come out of hiding into His presence. More than that, He invites us to drop our self-made facades and be real with Him. The spiritual life isn’t, first of all, about being good; it’s about being authentic. And admitting our brokenness is the first step to transformation.

No comments: