Faking It Is Not Making It

       Fake it till you make it… These are some words that, honestly, I have come to live by. I don’t like showing my weakness. I try and make it seem like I have it all together all the time. But the truth is, like most people, I have what seems like inescapable, unexplainable pain dwelling within me. Because I can’t even understand a lot of the pain myself, I oftentimes don’t even attempt to confide in my friends or family. This “faking it till you make it” thing works pretty well for a while. But there’s a pain that slowly creeps into my mind at random times of the day or when I’m not busy and I let myself start thinking too much. And then, I break. After trying to appear strong for so long, the walls come crashing down and all my hurt and pain comes pouring out. There’s an immediate relief in letting go, but there is a better way…

God, is not a “fake it till you make it” kind of being. He wants you just as you are: imperfect, unashamed, and brokenly beautiful. In one of my favorite books, Crazy Love, Francis Chan writes this:

    “People who are obsessed (completely consumed with God and his Word) 
     are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins
     or their failures.Obsessed people don’t put it on for God; He is their
     safe place, where they can be at peace.”

You don’t have to fake it till you make it with God. You don’t have to put on the masks to hide your pain or anything else for that matter. You can be 100% real with Him and He won’t love you any less. If you truly desire to draw closer to God, you have to quit hiding behind the walls you think are protecting yourself. Jesus came to this world to bridge the gap between us and God; so why build up walls to distance ourselves again? Break down before God. Let him see your hurt and all your deepest, darkest thoughts. The peace that God so desires to give you often comes through your vulnerability.

Vulnerability is a battle, but peace is the victory. It’s ironic, really, that there is peace in breaking down. Stop distancing yourself from God by pretending you’re okay. When you pretend, you may subconsciously be saying that you don’t feel like you need God. But I can tell you this, I need God more than anything.

“You are life, every breath….You're the heart beating in my chest I breathe out and breathe You in…I need You more than oxygen” -Lincoln Brewster—Oxygen

            We all need God more than anything. So take down your walls and break down before our God who is waiting to build you back up His way.