“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.”
The original language for this verse implies a person who disguises himself by faking his countenance. That is not always easy to do and it’s certainly not something a genuine person can fake for very long. All of us at times can smile and be kind even when we don’t feel like it. Sometimes it is even the right thing to do. Solomon is making it clear that there are those who act kind and friendly, even upbeat, only for the purpose of deceiving and manipulating. While they may do that to your face they are looking for a way to hurt you. That is evil. As Christ followers we need to live genuine and transparent lives. That doesn’t mean we invite everyone into our deepest journey but it does mean that when one sees us as a follower of Christ they ought to truly see us. They should see salt and light, the marks of the genuine transformed believer. When we become born from above the need to be phony goes away. The struggle to be transparent doesn’t leave everyone who comes to Christ right away. There will always be the temptation to present ourselves as someone we are not. Primarily we may believe that who we are will not be accepted or liked. We battle the temptation to hide until we genuinely realize who we are in Christ and that that is truly enough. Today let God set you free and avoid the phony. #BeTheEdge
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22 NIV
