Lessons From Rehab #8: DON'T PRETEND; INSTEAD, PRESENT

What was the first question God ever asked in the Bible?

"Where are you?"*

When Adam and Eve had sinned, or failed, their initial reaction was to go into hiding.  BUT GOD... God set out to look for them, to find them and to make a way to redeem them.  In their hiding, God called out, "Where are you?"  He did not harshly grouch, "Adam!  Where are you supposed to be?"  He simply asked:

"Where are you?"

In essence, God, who sees and knows all, was asking Adam to allow himself to be found.  God would not impose His presence, help, grace or even salvation on Adam.  God was ready and willing to meet Adam in the middle of his failure, right where he was at, but Adam had to present himself first in order to be found.

When we struggle, we too often go into hiding.  We may literally, physically hide ourselves from others (not going out anymore, not returning calls, stop going to church, etc.), or we might also tend to hide ourselves beneath various facades of our own making.  We learn to mask, to perform; we learn to pretend.  

Pretend I don't hurt.

Pretend I don't struggle.

Pretend I believe, when really I'm barely holding onto my faith.

Pretend I agree.

Pretend I'm fine.

Pretend I'm not slipping.

Pretend,

Pretend,

Pretend.

What God revealed in Genesis 3 is that He has no interest in performances or pretense.  He has an interest in people, and He wants to know you as you are, not as you should be.  Today, if you are struggling to live up to all you feel like are you "supposed to be," if you are hiding or pretending in some way, hear the gentle voice of the Father whispering your name and asking, "Where are you?"

Come as you are; 

PRESENT, don't pretend.    

He'll meet you there,

So let yourself be found.

*Genesis 3:9