Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
The Real Deal
My mom was a great country cook and spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals. Therefore, she was always willing to at least try new time-saving methods. She was an excellent pie maker and desserts were usually the “guinea pig” foods she would test on the family. Down through the years her pies were first topped with whipped cream, then Dream Whip in the late ‘50s, and then in the ‘60s she tried frozen whipped topping. However, heavy whipping cream was always Dad’s #1 favorite because it was the real deal. He didn’t really complain about the new toppings — as long as the pie itself was tasty he could put up with the imitation toppings. However, he gave the frozen whipped topping the nickname of “calf slobbers.“
As Christ followers, we need to continually check up on ourselves to ensure that we’re living as the real deal. No one, especially God, is pleased with an imitation Christian. One day I was wearing a “Gulf Shores Alabama” t-shirt when I met a gentleman on the sidewalk. He asked, “Have you been there, or just have the t-shirt?” I happily answered in the affirmative. I later realized that my response made me an authentic advertiser for this great beach; otherwise I guess I would have been a fake. Believers need to keep in mind that we’re to be genuine examples of Jesus.
Because no one wants to be around a fake, we need to challenge ourselves to examine our motives and actions. Being the real deal means that we do acts of kindness for others out of a sincere love for God and our neighbor. “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).
It’s important that everything believers say can be taken to the bank. Otherwise, if we’re just pulling someone’s leg every other sentence, he/she quickly learns that our words are meaningless and we can’t be trusted. “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:25 NLT). Here is the same verse in The Passion Translation: “So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.”
When Christ followers practice being the real deal, we are actively booting out characteristics that could hinder our ability to reflect Christ. When we kick deceit and hypocrisy to the curb and choose to be genuine in our daily lives, we’re living like Jesus taught us. Being the real deal is characterized by practicing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People can usually distinguish genuine from fake by how we respond to the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). The sum total of a genuine believer’s lifestyle is one word. Love.
Apostle Paul writes about how believers are to live: “I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes” (Romans 12:1-2 TPT).
The Key: I don’t want to be identified with calf slobbers. I want to be the real deal.