But, don't we as Christians genuinely show phoniness on a daily basis? If we are hurting financially, physically, depressed, worried, etc. aren't we taught to show these emotions or to say out loud we aren't doing so well that we are not relying enough on God?
I remember a pastor I had in Arizona who preached to us one day on how no matter what happens in our life, we should smile and say we are happy so we are showing the rest of the world how good God is. Well, I don't know about your God, but my God is good and He doesn't need me pretending to feel good and during some of my darkest hours, He has been there and held me and rocked me and showed me how much He loves me and cares for me. God doesn't need me to pretend life is good all the time and He doesn't want us to pretend. What God wants us to do is reach out to others!
It is like Creflo stated, 'if someone is hurting you over and over again and you smile and pretend this is not happening and you are not hurt...guess what? They will continue to do the same thing over and over again until you say STOP!'
What about robbing people of their blessings? When I first had surgery, my hubby did not want help from our church in meal planning. He is perfectly capable of cooking, took an entire month off to take care of me and the grands and is a very independent soul who doesn't accept anything from anyone and he didn't need or want help for dinner. By the time I arrived home from the hospital, he was actually looking forward to those nightly dinners and talking a bit to those that delivered them!
When we refuse someones offer of help, we are actually robbing them from being blessed. I feel very comfortable in having my husband, my son and his wife or my best friend coming over and lending me a helping hand with mopping, grocery shopping, etc. , but I don't feel comfortable asking my friends at church to help me do some of these things. Why? Because I feel if I ask for help, they will wonder why I am not better yet, they will think I am not relying on God enough, they will resent me for asking them to help.
Is this true? No! It is how we are conditioned to think and Creflo says it is this phoniness that keeps us in bondage! We need to not only give but to receive and forget that super woman thing from the 80's and 90's, yes, I am woman, but do you really need to hear me roar?
I am in pain all the time, I can't do things like I used to, but I can bless someone by sitting with them and talking, driving them to the doctor, reading to them if they can't see the words and I can bless someone by accepting their offer to help me and not feeling badly for calling someone and asking for help.
Blessing others is much like this beautiful basket of fruit. I didn't ask for it, I never expected it, it came from someone I know is struggling their own selves, but they chose to bless my family and they did in a few ways:* I have been looking for a table center piece for fruit and it arrived without me asking, saying anything about it or spending a dime for it.
* The kids love fruit and we didn't have any in the house yesterday nor was I feeling up to driving anywhere...it arrived right at lunch time.
* It came from the heart and was packaged with love and care.
* The person that made this for us was happy to give this to us and so, they were blessed as well.
How would that person have felt if I had said: 'I am sorry, we don't eat fruit or we don't like fruit or we have to much fruit?' I would have not only crushed their spirit, but crushed their blessing.
We need to break our bondage of phoniness and allow God to work within us and take those blessings we are handed because if we do not, some day we may be like the man in the flood who was sent all the help in the world and when he refused and drowned and arrived in heaven....well, we all know the story.
Today, if you need prayer I am here all you have to do is ask. If you need someone to just listen, drop me an Email and I will hear you. If you want to bless others and know no one, contact a local church and ask who could use a blessing today.
Remember, being Christians does not mean we have to pretend our lives are perfect!
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