I felt that I needed to dive into this word AUTHENTIC more. Because there is much more to it.
Love must be sincere. Romans 12:9
This word – sincere. It literally is SINE CERA, or without wax. Ancient merchants would sell pots that were cracked. And the cracks had been filled in with wax. So, for a pot to be sincere, it had to be without wax. Without something holding it together and pretending to be something that it is not. Can you imagine buying an exquisite piece of pottery in Europe only to discover when you got home that it had wax in it to cover up a crack?
God has called us to love one another. He has called us to lay down self and to let others be first in our day-to-day. Jesus is always FIRST, but my rights, my wants and my ways need to be others’ focused. And that love has to be sincere. It has to be whole. And, it is sometimes easier said than done.
In the platform of pain, there are many times when I can hardly think beyond the pain in my feet. Or, when I was in my first affliction, I could not get past my screaming side – it was my core and it was what directed my entire body. Every movement was agony. It is here that God is stripping away self. Because my whole focus is on the screaming pain, where God is saying your whole focus needs to be on pleasing Me.
We have a pony. And at one point we had 5 horses, but we are down to our mare pony, Lady Blaze. Through the years, we have had our share of vet calls, and when you have a large animal and the vet comes to your farm, you ARE the vet’s assistant. And, horses have this uncanny knack of colicking at odd times. Usually at a weather change. Many autumn nights were spent out in the pasture with a sick horse. Well, when the vet has to shove a tube down a horse’s throat, which is not a pretty sight, he has his assistant put a clamp of sort on the lip of the horse and basically pinch the horse’s lip. Instant pain. The focus of this huge animal is on a very small part of his anatomy – his very painful lip. Extremely effective way to get this beast of burden to not notice the tube down his throat. The horse’s whole world is now focused on the pain.
See how easy it is to get there? Now, I am not comparing my life, or your life to a horse, but rather the idea of pain being an instant distraction. And, we have an enemy that loves to distract us. Get our focus on self, and not on God or others.
So, the bigger question is: how can I be AUTHENTIC in this season of pain, and not focus on myself and instead give God glory and love others?
I probably should stop here, and let you answer this for me. But, I want to share what God just gave me.
Above all else, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Philippians 1:27
We ARE broken vessels. I AM full of cracks. I can only speak for myself here, but in the general sense, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So, yes, we have cracks. My cracks are different from yours. I probably have more than you do. Or, you may have more than me. But, we are broken nonetheless. And we have this call to action by Paul. He obviously is writing by the power of the Holy Spirit, so it is what the Spirit is saying to us – conduct yourselves in a manner worthy. Basically, please God in all that you do. And showing love to someone even when I am in pain is a MUST for me, a child of the kingdom of God.
However, I do not want to fill my cracks on my broken vessel with wax. I would not be sincere. Or authentic. I would be covering things up. Kind of like the fig leaves that Adam and Eve sewed together to cover their nakedness. Kind of scratchy. No, God has a better plan. His Son. More specifically, the blood of His Son. That blood, which was shed at Calvary for my sin, our sin, is what fills up the cracks on my vessel. On your vessel. Because of what Christ accomplished on the Cross, I can stand before a holy God and be considered holy – set apart, with flaws, and yet perfect. His blood has covered me so when God looks at me, He only sees His Son. So, I am without wax before my Holy God.
This is what I believe to be truly AUTHENTIC. To be forgiven and covered by Christ so I am new creation. Because when I make that step, I am a child of God. And then, even with all of my bumps, warts, cracks, and all, I am not pretending to have my act together by filling my flaws with wax – something that melts away when it gets hot.
I have heard it said that the mark of a sincere Christian is one who walks in a manner worthy when he/she is put in the fire. That person does not melt. He becomes stronger, sweeter. How is that? It is Christ’s blood, plain and simple. Not plain and simple for Christ, but for us it is. Our one plea – HELP, and Christ is there. One cry for help and He takes all the heat. One shout to God and He gives me the grace to keep my mouth shut, and to demonstrate my love instead by not complaining if my pain is prolonged or overwhelming.
So, in conclusion. To be authentic is to be forgiven. To have the Spirit taking up residence in my heart, as well to having myself yoked to Jesus. I wrote about this yoke before. HERE And to follow God where He leads. Because where He leads is where I am MOST authentic.
