READ
REFLECT
In today’s culture, a prevailing preoccupation with self-image exists, leading individuals to create their own golden calves. Many people appear to present mere facades, obscuring their true essence due to an obsession with physical appearance and social status.
The quest for validation manifests prominently on social media platforms each day. Numerous individuals perceive their worth as contingent upon the number of “likes” or “followers” they accumulate online.
Although having a social media following is not inherently problematic, making it the primary focus supersedes one’s devotion to God. Placing excessive importance on virtual popularity eclipses the significance of prioritizing a spiritual connection with the Divine.
We aren’t our true selves when we choose today’s culture over the Lord. We have to be authentic, which means being dedicated to our Christian values daily and not obsessing over the things that have no lasting value.
If we feel we aren’t being true to ourselves, we can ask God for help. One way we could do this is by quoting Scripture. Psalm 129:33-34 is an excellent place to begin, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
We want God to see us as authentic. And we also don’t want to be hypocrites. In Matthew, it talks of the Pharisees and how while they may look nice on the outside, on the inside, they are full of wickedness.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
RESPOND
1. Commit James 1:22 to memory.
