Vibrant Hope — Stop Pretending and Be True

Monday 5/30/2024

Here are a few verses on pretense:

Matthew 23:28 — “In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Proverbs 26:24–25 — “Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts, they harbour deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.”

1 John 2:4 — “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

Colossians 3:9–10 — “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

Pretending refers to the act of creating a false appearance or impersonating someone or something that one is not.

We pretend by taking on a different character or immersing ourselves in a fictional situation. We imagine and fabricate untrue stories and scenarios in our minds. We assume the role or behaviour associated with the chosen character or situation and utilize our imagination and creativity to make the pretense appear authentic.

Detecting fake people can be tough, but some signs to watch out for include:

• Inconsistencies in their stories or behaviour.
• Lack of genuine emotions or reactions.
• Frequent changes in personality or demeanour.
• Difficulty maintaining consistent relationships or connections.
• Overemphasis on appearances and superficial aspects of life.
• Being overly agreeable or excessively accommodating.

By Pastor AK Mannah