Post by Betty on May 31, 2005 5:23:09 GMT -5
Reflection #1 on 'Masquerade' by Reality Check
Have you ever pretended to be something you're not? Once for a party, I dressed
up like a grape. It was great costume, but I couldn't sit down all night.
Another time I went as the mop lady from the old "Carol Burnett Show." I won a
prize for that one, but the bucket on my head gave me a headache. Sometimes
pretending to be something or someone you aren't can be fun, as long as it's a
game. But it's not a good way to live your life.
In the song "Masquerade," Reality Check sings about people who spend their lives
pretending to be something they are not. They pretend to be happy; they pretend
to be in control. They put on a good front to the world, but inside they are
scared. Living a lie is hard.
And I wonder what you're gonna do
When your disguise comes crashing down and your self comes shining through
Are you gonna hide your face
Or let it rest in the hands of grace
"Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live
honorably in every way" (Hebrews 13:18, NIV).
The writer of Hebrews asked for prayer to live honorably. The King James Version
uses the word "honestly." Living honorably and honestly is more than just
telling the truth. Living honestly is living in the freedom that Jesus purchased
for us. It means living every day depending on His help. It means living by His
rules, without pretense, no game playing, no manipulation of people. And living
a lie or shading the truth is just that--manipulation. When a person does that,
even if they do it out of "good intentions," they are manipulating others. They
are trying to get them to believe the lies. That is not love, and that is no way
to live.
I like the name of this band because a reality check is exactly what we all
need. It is what I need. I need to check my life and my relationships for
reality. I need to ask myself, Am I living honestly? Am I living in the freedom
Jesus gives or am I bound up in a web of lies? These days, more than ever, Jesus
wants us to live freely in His love. So how about you? Have you made a reality
check lately?
- Suzy C.
Have you ever pretended to be something you're not? Once for a party, I dressed
up like a grape. It was great costume, but I couldn't sit down all night.
Another time I went as the mop lady from the old "Carol Burnett Show." I won a
prize for that one, but the bucket on my head gave me a headache. Sometimes
pretending to be something or someone you aren't can be fun, as long as it's a
game. But it's not a good way to live your life.
In the song "Masquerade," Reality Check sings about people who spend their lives
pretending to be something they are not. They pretend to be happy; they pretend
to be in control. They put on a good front to the world, but inside they are
scared. Living a lie is hard.
And I wonder what you're gonna do
When your disguise comes crashing down and your self comes shining through
Are you gonna hide your face
Or let it rest in the hands of grace
"Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live
honorably in every way" (Hebrews 13:18, NIV).
The writer of Hebrews asked for prayer to live honorably. The King James Version
uses the word "honestly." Living honorably and honestly is more than just
telling the truth. Living honestly is living in the freedom that Jesus purchased
for us. It means living every day depending on His help. It means living by His
rules, without pretense, no game playing, no manipulation of people. And living
a lie or shading the truth is just that--manipulation. When a person does that,
even if they do it out of "good intentions," they are manipulating others. They
are trying to get them to believe the lies. That is not love, and that is no way
to live.
I like the name of this band because a reality check is exactly what we all
need. It is what I need. I need to check my life and my relationships for
reality. I need to ask myself, Am I living honestly? Am I living in the freedom
Jesus gives or am I bound up in a web of lies? These days, more than ever, Jesus
wants us to live freely in His love. So how about you? Have you made a reality
check lately?
- Suzy C.
