My daughter and her husband were visiting on the August long
weekend. When they come, so do the desserts. The decision was made to make Skor
bit Chocolate Cake Trifle. My son in-law doesn’t care for things containing
whipped cream and requested a lemon pie. I would have gladly made him one but I
get complaints when I make “real” lemon pie using actual lemons. He wants the
kind that comes from a box.
Food isn’t the only thing where I find today’s society
wanting the imitation in place of the real. There are so many things on
television where relationships are built on physical attraction. Just like the
nutrition that is lacking from boxed foods, these relationships lack depth and
real love.
Unfortunately, this trend has also made its way to the
church where people want instant gratification. Health, wealth and prosperity
have replaced truth. False teachings are everywhere.
These imitations are making it harder all the time to share
the true message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a Christian writer, the
temptation is there to follow the trend and probably sell more books. If I just
brought in enough to get them interested, I could still end with the truth. But
my heart knows there is no joy in imitations and there is no backdoor entry
into God’s Kingdom.
“For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they
shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
2 Timothy 4:3-5
This is an excellent analogy, Tammy, and so true.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteYou give us lots to think of here, Tammy. I find that even a few of the televangelists preach almost exclusively on health, wealth, and prosperity. We need something more real than a quick and magical fix.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably as close to my heart as I can get. Having been very hurt by an "imitation" church, it's what I most long to write about to help others avoid falling into this trap.
DeleteGod knows charlatans will try their hand at "evangelizing" us and taking us down the wrong paths. We are like sheep in need of a shepherd and that is why we need to stay close to the Shepherd. God has given us Jesus as Shepherd and Guide. He has given us his word and his Holy Spirit. The closer we stay to our Shepherd the greater our protection. We can remind one another how to walk. Thanks for this thought, Tammy.
ReplyDeleteImitation vs the real. A very good point you make here Tammy. It relates to all we do in life; do we want 'fake' but easy or do we want 'real' but perhaps with some sacrifice/hardships. It definitely pertains to our writing and I'm with you; I prefer the real in my life (worked too hard to get here to give it up now) and if that means I'm going without or on the outskirts then so be it. I think in the end it is always worth it, if not here, then in heaven with God.
ReplyDelete