Fantasy Faith

“People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.” (Matthew 23:28 MSG)

I know several guys who are really into fantasy football. During football season, they become completely occupied in picking players, watching games, and comparing stats. It’s hard for me to understand why grown men would invest so much time, money, and energy in a fake activity.  I wonder if these men ever feel like frauds. I guess everyone involved knows that the whole thing is based on pretending, so it is acceptable.

Many of us approach faith in a similar way. From the outside, we look like saints--praying, going to church, attending Bible studies, volunteering with local charities, donating money to worthy causes, etc. We invest a great deal of our resources in proving our goodness. However, on the inside we are filled with worry and desire for control. We refuse to trust and submit to God. People look at us and think we are saints, but beneath the surface we are total frauds. Yet, we don’t think of our faith as fraudulent. No, we would characterize it more as fantasy faith. Everyone knows that there is a certain amount of pretending involved; thus, it is widely accepted.

Things that are acceptable by human standards are not always acceptable in God’s sight. God desires to have more than a fake relationship with us. He wants us to be real, inside and out. This requires that we be totally honest with ourselves, with others, and with God. We must have skin in the game. We must be willing to suffer and submit. We must trust. No more pretending. No more wasting time and energy on fantasy faith. 

Lord, we realize that You want a real relationship with us. Help us not to be satisfied with our fantasies of faith. May we be willing to shed all our pretensions and have an honest connection with you.