Faking it??

[Cookie-Monsta]

Hey peeps!

U kno sometimes u find out that someone's really struggling with their faith but on the outside they seem to be fine - and u see them worshipping and talking about God as if they believe it strongly, how many people do u reckon do that? Hands up in the air worshipping and pretending they are really on fire for God and at the same time without knowing it are witnessing for a God who they're not even sure about.

I think it would be interesting to go to a church be able to see how many are faking it.

 

[Religious Crisis]

Sometime it is a good thing to "fake it till you make it" if you want to be filled with the holy spirit but are not and are asking God about it why not start acting like you are instead of waiting for God to do everything for you. I am not sure what that has to do with your question but I felt like saying it.

 

[Cookie-Monsta]

um yeah. I spose but wot if everyone's doin that and then non Christians/new christians see and think God's wonderful but wot they're really seeing is only people doin stuff.

On a different track - they say you should go and spread God's love to everyone. Does everyone who does that actually love everyone or are they just bein kind to people to give God a good name? Couldn't any old guy do that to give anything a good name? Without God's help?

Does that make sense?

Maybe I'm just confused

 

[Religious Crisis]

Lets say for example that you see a person who is praising God and praying and that helps you turn to the Lord and later after you are saved you find out that the person who you saw that propelled you to seek God was not really saved, does that mean that you are not saved?

 

[Deb4given]

um yeah. I spose but wot if everyone's doin that and then non Christians/new christians see and think God's wonderful but wot they're really seeing is only people doin stuff.

On a different track - they say you should go and spread God's love to everyone. Does everyone who does that actually love everyone or are they just bein kind to people to give God a good name? Couldn't any old guy do that to give anything a good name? Without God's help?

Does that make sense?

Maybe I'm just confused

I know what you are saying, but if we all acted like how we feel all the time, would we be a very good witness for the new christian? or the unbeliever? I think everyone tries to do their best, and when they are in the house of God they are trying to please God and even trying to better next time.

Yes, there are a lot of people that *fake* or put on their mask when they are around others, and then go back to being like they were before. You know I think that everyone tries to do their best or tries and does what they are suppose too, however there are some that just do good because their parents told them too, or because they haven't really accepted Jesus as their saviour and in that case it definetly is fake.

As far as loving others, you can be very nice and very kind and not know God or have God's love. But, in the midst of hard times, those people sometimes buckle. But someone with God's love and dedication to God will stay strong in the fray.

On other thought tho, there are a lot of people in this world that think that they are kind and loving and never hurt anyone, and those are the ones that have a hard time thinking they need salvation..because after all they are good and kind...but we know that our rightousness is as filthy rags. That's why we need Jesus.

 

[adamdavid]

I cant even begin to tell you how many times I have "faked it" as you say... not because I didn't want to experience God, but rather because I had a horrible week, then fought with my parents all day Saturday, and by the time I got to church on Sunday, I just wasn't ready to truely worship... my motivation for "faking it" (lifting my hands, singing loudly and dancing in spite of the fact that I felt a billion miles from God), however, was not to impress others at church... (that doesnt usually do a lot of good at my church anyways... people are too off in their own little worship worlds to give the slightest care about what I'm doing... ), but rather to show God how much I want to be close to him... I may not have been led into spirit-filled worship by the Holy Spirit, but rather by a yearning in my own spirit for that seemingly-lost intimacy... And guess what? Usually, rather than just staying in me-mode, as time went on, because I was pressing in despite my flesh not really wanting to, I ended up really worshipping... So sometimes, "faking it" (with good motives - not to impress people, but rather to press into God...) is a rather good thing...

Blessings...
AdamDavid

 

[Kelly]

We all have our ups and downs with our faith. Look at David's psalms. They go from God you are "TEH AWESOME!!!!!1" to "GOD...WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO ME?!?!?!"

 

[tesnusxenos]

I think about this a lot. We have some students that come week after week to our college ministry group and really seem to praise and worship the Lord fully but then go back and drink and party and sleep with their boyfriends the rest of the week.
Makes me wonder..."why?"
and
"How do we get through to them?"
and
"Where does freedom in Christ end?"
and
"How do I confront them without driving them away? and should I?"

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Hey peeps!

U kno sometimes u find out that someone's really struggling with their faith but on the outside they seem to be fine - and u see them worshipping and talking about God as if they believe it strongly, how many people do u reckon do that? Hands up in the air worshipping and pretending they are really on fire for God and at the same time without knowing it are witnessing for a God who they're not even sure about.

I think it would be interesting to go to a church be able to see how many are faking it.

I wonder what is the difference between doing something because you 'mean it" and doing something i.e. "faking it".

If you ever read Hamlet you will see the definitive lesson in playing parts. There was even a play within the play that was a mini version of the play.

If I put a gun to your head and said "say thank you Jesus"... what would you do? Would you mean it? What does it take for you to really "mean it". What does it mean to really "mean it"?

If God said "love me with all your heart and all your soul"?
Would you sit around and not love Him because you were not sure you meant it? Or would you just do it because He said so?

Since when does obedience require sincerity to be present in order for the worship to be real? It does not.

Do it because He said to do it. He did not say do it if you
feel like it or do it only if you mean it. He said do it!

I think feelings are not a true indicator of what is really going on in your heart. I think obedience is. This is especially true when you obey even when you do not feel like it. That is very much what faith and faithfulness is all about.

Feelings will come around.... and when they do you may very well wonder "is my worship real, or is it just feelings?"
Bottom line..... don't rely on feelings or soulical sincerity to determine your actions toward God. Let faith and obedience. Do it because He said to. That is what pleases Him.

 

[Cookie-Monsta]

Good points!

Imagine you are a non christian and u go into a church and everyone is dancing around hands in the air singing and looking like they are enjoying every moment. You think to yourself - that looks good! so you go back nxt week and they're the same. You talk to them and find their way of life sounds good and easy (because christians do normally seem to give the good points) and you decide to become a christian. You are now one of the church and you find it's not always so happy clappy as it looked.

Wouldn't you feel cheated?

I'm not saying its wrong I just struggle with the idea of pretending.

And I pretend too sometimes so I'm not to judge anyone!

 

[Ariel]

I was in a worship service once when suddenly I could see in the spirit. I had my eyes closed, but I could see all the people, and also see through the shell of their bodies into their souls. The Holy Spirit was standing in front, and as the worship continued, I could see sin leaving some people's souls (it looked like spots of darkness dissolving). Some people's souls looked so dark and hopeless, but as they pressed in and continued to worship, light came into them, and suddenly they were startlingly beautiful. Some were bent and twisted, but as the service continued they became upright and straight. As they called out to God, the Holy Spirit was touching them, cleansing them, filling them, giving them hope.

Then the Holy Spirit showed me people who came in with their arms crossed over their chests. They weren't going to worship--none of this stuff for them. Well, they left just as dark and twisted as when they came in.

Yes, press into worship! Press in and keep on pressing in! Maybe you don't feel like it at first, but the Word says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved," Romans 10:13. So call on Him, press into Him, cry out to Him, and let Him touch you, cleanse you, fill you with light and hope, and give you truth!

 

[TomUK]

Then the Holy Spirit showed me people who came in with their arms crossed over their chests. They weren't going to worship--none of this stuff for them. Well, they left just as dark and twisted as when they came in.

Just because some people favour a different style of worship, doesn't mean that they're twisted

To address the initial point however, we all live trying to project an image of ourselves which we think is favourable- we never really truely reveal the real 'us' as we're always putting on a front. I think it's a shame that people feel the need to act like that in a church however. Church should be about meeting God, and if we are not going to be ourselves while in His presence- be like He intended us to be and act like He intended us to act- then is it really worth going to church.

 

[adamdavid]

Imagine you are a non christian and u go into a church and everyone is dancing around hands in the air singing and looking like they are enjoying every moment. You think to yourself - that looks good! so you go back nxt week and they're the same. You talk to them and find their way of life sounds good and easy (because christians do normally seem to give the good points) and you decide to become a christian. You are now one of the church and you find it's not always so happy clappy as it looked.

Wouldn't you feel cheated?

I'm not saying its wrong I just struggle with the idea of pretending.

I'm sure I would feel a bit cheated at first, but I would talk to someone about it... now, I'm going to swap roles (just because I can )... were someone to come to me saying that they had gone through the situation mentioned above, I would tell them a couple things... the first thing I would tell this person is that the purpose of being a Christian is not not necessarily to bring happiness in this life (though my faith does bring me happiness at times, there are other times when it makes me feel completely out of place... kindof abnormal... I'm sure most of you can relate...), but rather to bring eternal happiness in the eternity to come, being able to spend eternity with the greatest lover in the universe...

The second thing I would tell this person is that we aren't just pretending... our faith empowers us to have profound joy (which is very different from happiness...) in the face of any darkness that comes our way... therefore, even if we're three months behind on our house payment and they're going to turn off our phone, we can still dance before the Lord and give him praise for all the good things he has done for us, and for our assurance that he will take care of us somehow (we may be uncomfortable, but he will take care of us!)... This is what gives us the joy to dance and sing, not material, or even emotional, things... God gives us His joy so that we can dance even when our flesh's happiness is not sufficient to propel us to do so...

Did that make any sense whatsoever? I hope it did to someone !!! I kinda rambled a bit, but oh well...

Blessings...
AdamDavid

 

[adamdavid]

Just because some people favour a different style of worship, doesn't mean that they're twisted

Ummm... I realize I'm not the person that comment was directed at, but I feel like clarifying anyways... I'm guessing that as this person was "seeing in the spirit", coming in with arms crossed refusing to worship wasn't a problem with the physical body (people can certainly worship with their arms crossed... why one would want to do so doesn't make sense to my overly-charismatic brain, but that doesnt mean it isnt possible, right? ), but rather a problem with the attitude of not wanting to worship... whether the motive was a refusal to participate in the style of worship, or just a genuine hatred of God, the result is the same... they leave the building without having received the healing that worship can do to their spirits...

Blessings...
AdamDavid

 

[Cookie-Monsta]

The second thing I would tell this person is that we aren't just pretending... our faith empowers us to have profound joy (which is very different from happiness...) in the face of any darkness that comes our way... therefore, even if we're three months behind on our house payment and they're going to turn off our phone, we can still dance before the Lord and give him praise for all the good things he has done for us, and for our assurance that he will take care of us somehow (we may be uncomfortable, but he will take care of us!)... This is what gives us the joy to dance and sing, not material, or even emotional, things... God gives us His joy so that we can dance even when our flesh's happiness is not sufficient to propel us to do so...

Did that make any sense whatsoever? I hope it did to someone !!! I kinda rambled a bit, but oh well...

Blessings...
AdamDavid

Yup that made sense!

 

[adamdavid]

Yup that made sense!

Oh, good

 

[Inprayer]

God knows our hearts and minds, as well as what life is like. He knows its hard with mistakes and temptation along the way, maybe God is using someone to "fake it" to bring someone else to Him, Who are we to know the mind of GOD? For better or worse we all serve the will of GOD, the just and unjust alike. The Holy Spirit will not enter a unclean person,either it be something small or large ,sin will keep the Spirit out.GOD bless!!!

 

[BronxBriar]

I think it would be interesting to go to a church be able to see how many are faking it.

It might be.....but then again I'm bit busy taking that giant beam out of my own eye.

 

[Cookie-Monsta]

Yep! I agree there about the beam!! Mine's a nasty one with splinters

 

[adamdavid]

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