Honest with God?

Genesis 49; Job 15; Luke 2; 1 Corinthians 3

A woman complained of her troubles and someone said, “Why don’t you tell God how you feel?” She replied, “Oh, I could never talk to God like that. It would be disrespectful.”

Job’s ‘friend’ had that attitude. He said to Job:

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good? But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.” (Job 15:2–6)

Job later declared that he would not violate his integrity. Integrity means being the same person on the outside as on the inside. That is, it means not pretending ‘nice’ when you are angry or faking anything to make myself look good or more pious when I’m not what I am putting forward on the outside.

People of integrity are usually well-respected but at times they are resented for their honesty. I’ve a family member who told me that saying what he thinks sometimes gets him in trouble with those who don’t like hearing the truth. He has learned to temper his words with kindness yet refuses to pretend to agree when he has a different view. Those who like integrity say he is “refreshing” and they like his openness.

Eliphaz did not like Job’s openness with God, but what did God think about it?

All through Scripture I’ve seen that God knows my heart. If someone asks, “How are you?” I might say I am fine when I am not, but I cannot fake anything with Him. To even try it would be an insult to His omniscience. Besides, reading the Psalms shows me that His people should never fake telling Him how they feel. The psalmists never did. Sometimes they seemed to be yelling at God. Are those who keep their thoughts from God being honest with Him — the God who does not look at the outer appearance but at the heart?

Towards the end of the book of Job, God spoke to him about how he talked without knowledge, yet He did not rebuke Job for speaking his complaints and frustrations. The man was not a fake, never pretending to be pious when he was frustrated and confused. Did God find this man “refreshing” or not? The Scriptures say that the Lord sided with the way Job talked, even when whining and complaining, even when he seemed irreverent . . .

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (Job 42:7)

I know that God wants both humility and honesty, not pride and lies or faking it. While it seems irreverent to complain to God, He would rather I be honest about my feelings than pretend they don’t exist. I tend to think that most people are the same; they would rather hear the truth than anything like insincere flattery, a pasted-on smile, or only my good news and never the nasty realities of life.

Job’s example then is highly practical. From him I am encouraged to be honest with God, honest with people, and honest with myself.

The importance of integrity

Zechariah 6:1–7:14, Acts 22:22–23:22, Job 29:13–25

Integrity means to be the same person inside and out, saying what I think and thinking what I say. Even so, I realize how easy it is to fake it, to act like a Christian ought to act, but on the inside being totally selfish about whatever I am doing.

During God’s judgments on His people, He spoke to Zechariah the prophet: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?’” (Zechariah 7:4–6)

God knows the heart. People may be fooled but no one can escape the scrutiny of the Lord. He isn’t interested in fake pious behavior like fasting if it isn’t accompanied by genuine sacrifice of self-interest that shows genuine loves to others. He said to Zechariah, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 7:8–12)

Job knew better. He defended his lifestyle to his ‘friends’ who accused him of wickedness. “The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.”

“Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’” (Job 29:13–20)

Job honestly admitted that he expected a happy and prosperous old age. He did not expect what happened to him. Later he would say to his accusers, “Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.” (Job 27:5)

The Apostle Paul also was a man of integrity, even though it put him in danger. To an angry mob, he spoke of his conversion and included God’s command to him: “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (Acts 22:21)

Up to this point they listened to him, but when he said that, they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” They were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air. (Acts 22:22–23) If I thought I’d get that reaction, I might have kept my mouth shut!

But Paul, like Job, spoke his heart: “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” This infuriated them even more, so the solders took him to safety. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (Acts 23:6–11)

The next day, the Jews plotted to kill him, but Paul’s nephew overheard their scheme and told his uncle of their plans. He sent them to the military leader who listened, then said, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.” (Acts 23:12–22) Paul’s life was spared under the protection of many soldiers, no doubt because this one soldier respected him for his integrity.

Marcus Aurelius once said, “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” This seems the attitude of God toward His self-serving people, and the words that Job ought to have said to his accusers, and the principle by which Paul lived.

For me, it is also a good word, one that motivates me to live with integrity.

Put it on?

Whenever someone studies the Bible, one of the first steps is making sure that they know what the words say. This is primary yet well-read people tend to take this step for granted, particularly if the words are simple. Yet this can be dangerous because even simple words can mean something other than what we think they mean.

For instance, when I read the words “put on” I tend to think of someone doing something misleading, they are acting or putting on an attitude that is not real or normal for them. Today, I looked up “put on” and found that even an ordinary dictionary lists six meanings. Three of them resemble the meaning that pops into my head.
    3. To assume affectedly: put on an English accent.
    4. Slang, to tease or mislead (another): You're putting me on!
    6. To produce; perform: put on a variety show.

The other three are more positive and do not have that sense of faking it.
    1.  To clothe oneself with; don: put on a coat; put socks on.
    2. To apply; activate: put on the brakes.
    5. To add: put on weight.

Consider these six meanings for the following verses about the way Christians are supposed to live. 

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. (Colossians 3:9-10)

If any of the first three meanings are assumed, then the passage is about acting, playing a part, being misleading. That is not what the Bible is talking about, but often that is the way the Christian life is interpreted. Put on a Christian face, show a pious and spiritual attitude. Never mind what is really going on, just look good on the outside.

Definition #1 is closer to what the verses are saying. Most commentators say that putting on the new life is like putting on clothes, but even this definition misses the idea a little bit. Putting on clothes could be seen as an external action, a covering up of what someone is really like. This is not what God has in mind. The Greek word is more about “sinking into” clothes, perhaps a slight difference, but it puts to mind a deeper thing than just donning a new persona or affecting an external change.

All that being said, the context enriches the ideas in these verses. The former self was involved in sinful living, but Christians are given a new mind, the mind of Christ. With that, we have a renewed knowledge that is more like the innocence and openness of a babe yet this renewed understanding is patterned after Jesus Christ. Instead of being like we once were, we are told to dump that like an old rag, and now be like the new people He has made us.

We are to wear that newness, live by it, sink into it, let be the way we are, not a way we pretend to be. Our piety is not to be a big “put on” but genuine, from the inside out, like Jesus.

As soon as I start saying to myself, “How should I act in this situation?” then I have lost the very thing Colossians 3 is talking about. The new nature is a choice, but once it is yielded to, then the Holy Spirit does the deciding and I just am who I am. It isn’t a put on.

These are only two simple words, yet what a difference the definitions make. Without checking it out, I could think it is okay to wear a church face, or pretend I am patient, or let others see only the “good” side of me.

Renewed knowledge, and a bit of effort to activate that knowledge with some Bible study, says otherwise.

Appearances can be deceiving

November 11, 2008

When we lived in California, our children wanted to visit Disneyland. As we entered the gates, it looked like a beautiful resort, but disappointment soon hit. Most of the vegetation was plastic. The lineups for the rides and attractions looked short, but their coiling length was hidden inside their entrance gate. While the children enjoyed themselves, I felt somewhat cheated. Appearances can certainly be deceiving.

My husband tells of meeting a woman when he was in his single days. She was about as perfectly attractive as a woman could be. He was dazzled – until she opened her mouth. Again, appearances can be deceiving.

In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus curses a fig tree. I’ve never understood this story until this morning. The passage says, “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, ‘Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.’ And His disciples heard it.”

My study Bible tells me that fig trees are harvested twice a year. While it was not the season for figs, that particular tree had lots of leaves. The notes say that the figs grow with the leaves, so this tree was in leaf and ahead of season in that department. It should have had figs along with its leaves but did not. In other words, its appearance was misleading.

With this, the Lord reminds me of the times that I’ve caught myself in church putting a big smile on my face and trying to look joyful when I was not. What was I trying to do? I have to admit that I wanted others to think that I was spiritual when I was anything but. Appearances are so deceiving.

Jesus cursed the fig tree for its “hypocrisy” and gave an object lesson to His disciples, me included, about the seriousness of faking it. True spirituality produces fruit. Faking it produces what might look like fruit, but Jesus knows what is and what is not genuine and I know it too. Such nonsense is merely leaves.