Drop the Façade - Girlfriends in God

April 9, 2015
Drop the Façade
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Tradition tells of a time in 1787 when the Empress Catherine II made a visit to a recent conquest—the Russian Crimea. In order to impress the Empress, Russian minister Potemkin erected fake villages along the desolate banks of the Dnieper River. Façades of settlements were erected far enough away from the riverbank so that the monarch and her traveling party could not tell that they were only façades as they sailed by. The glowing village fires were meant to comfort the monarch and her entourage as they surveyed the land, but the reality was her conquest was a barren impoverished wasteland. From a distance, the plywood storefronts, homes, and village buildings gave the appearance of a thriving village, but it was a lie.

For many years after I became a Christian, I was like a Potemkin village. On the outside, I looked pretty good, but on the inside, I was a mess. I feared one day someone would come close enough to discover my put together façade was a fake.

Even though I had the borders of the puzzle in place with promise of heaven, I felt like I was missing key pieces to complete the picture. From the time I was fourteen until I was in my early thirties, I always felt like there was something wrong with me spiritually. I had an uneasiness—like I had walked into a movie twenty minutes late, trying to figure out what was going on. I wondered why I struggled to live the victorious Christian life.

By my mid-thirties, I had a wonderful husband, an amazing son, and a happy home life. I even taught Bible studies at a scripturally-solid church, and surrounded myself with strong Christian friends. But in my heart, I new something wasn’t quite right.

Simply put, I was stuck. I was stuck in my spiritual growth and the harder I spun my tires, the deeper they sank in the muck and mire of the land of in-between. At fourteen, I left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, but somehow got stuck in the land of in-between, never quite making it to my Promised Land. And then God brought another woman into my life to shimmy the plank under my tires and help me get on my way.

You know what helped? An understanding of my true identity as a child of God. Do you know who you are? What you have? Where you are as a child of God? Do you believe it?

I encourage you to click on this link, print off the page, and start believing the truth of your new identity. You don’t need to put up a façade. This is who you truly are.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel like a big fat fake. Help me to believe the truth about who I really am in You. I know I don’t need to pretend! Help me to walk in the confidence of a child of the King who is truly loved, completely forgiven, and totally free. Thank You that I am equipped by You, enveloped by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Pick one of the verses from the Living Life Resource in the link above and memorize it today.

Click over to my Facebook page and tell me your favorite.

More from the Girlfriends

Do you long to feel close to God but sense there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do have a glory ache–a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me and discover how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred to experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer. Did you know that I have an app for Praying Wives? Check it out on iTunes.