The lawn is heavy with dew this morning, and the sun is barely awake. The keurig has done it’s job well, and the first sip is anticipated with joy….but there seems to be a problem. The first sip, told my taste buds that something is amuck, my joy is somewhat less as I slosh around some decaf in my mouth! It’s not the “real thing.” Like my Coca-Cola, I gotta have the real thing! You can’t fool thing ol’gal when it comes to taste.

Marvin and Tammi sang about their love being the “real thing” and this little song took me back a few years

I don’t know their love story, so not sure if indeed their love was authentic, the real thing or just an imitation?

I’d like to say that when it comes to people you can’t fool this ol’gal but unfortunately I’ve learned the hard way on this one. Too often we get involved with people who seem to be authentic, only to discover that they indeed are an imitation. Now nobody is perfect, but if you have your inner detective working you can usually tell a fake from far off. Hopefully, you figure them out before you get too far into a relationship with them, and get hurt. First impressions only play a small percent in knowing if someone is the real thing. Watching for signs as you spend time communicating, working with or just spending time with a person is where you can truly get to know someone. The best way to truly know someone is to be near them when they go through a tough situation, or ride with them in a car. (see my post Hide Your Crazy, Drive Like A Lady)

We can be quick to point out certain groups like Christians, Business Owners, Cops, and Celebrities giving them a bad rap for being anything but real. It is unfortunate but { the world is full of fakes, and those who make mistakes!} We live next to them, work with them, stand in lines at checkouts with them, we are related to them and even go to church with them. And I bet if we look in the mirror we might just see one! Appearance, can be deceiving we must look deep to see authentic. Judging someone solely on looks, or solely on behavior is an injustice to them and ourselves.

God created the first couple perfect, and then sin crept into the world. Now we have people who aren’t comfortable in their own skin, people with hurts, habits and hang-ups, rebels and those who pretend to be something or someone they are not. The bible clearly gives excellent instruction for all of us seeking to be real, and struggling with not being perfect. 2 Timothy 3: 2-4 warns us; People are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God………do you know any of these? Who do you see when you look in the mirror?

Join me today…..as we put on our clothes and make-up reminding ourselves to be the “real thing” accepting that we are not perfect and giving the same consideration to all groups of people. And if you like me are a Christ follower, don’t spend all day working on your appearance, or pretending that you’re perfect …but let our daily behavior unmistakably imitate the character of Christ, and cling to those who are real and like minded.

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“Father, we come admitting we are all imperfect, we all have tough situations we deal with daily, some inside ourselves and some with those around us, we humbly ask for your help in being real, not putting on like we are perfect, and help us Lord to love others and ourselves just as we are. In Jesus name Amen.”