Dead Props

 “For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track while the fool only deceives himself and refuses to face reality.” (Proverbs 14:8 TPT)

The movie, Weekend at Bernie’s, is about two employees who discover the body of their dead boss. They decide to pretend the boss is still alive so that they can enjoy his mansion for a weekend. They prop up the dead body and carry it around with them while hosting parties at the mansion. The guests don’t notice, because they are too absorbed in their own indulgences.

While this movie makes for some wonderful comedy, it also reveals some insights about human nature. Those who do not want to face reality often use deceit as a tool. Pretense can lead to self-deception. Lies are often overlooked by others, because they are absorbed in their own pretensions. 

I’ve been auditing my life for ‘dead props’--misbeliefs, acquaintances, prejudices, aversions, and obsessions that are no longer viable, but that I still carry around as if they are reasonable. It is difficult for me to face certain realities. I used to operate under presumptions that are currently invalid. I would rather pretend this is not true for several reasons. I don’t want to admit prior mistakes. Thinking too deeply is uncomfortable and inconvenient. I can get away with dead props in my life, because others are too absorbed in their own charades to notice. None of this makes it right.