Don’t Be Deceived

Sometimes, we need to read lots of the Bible at one sitting. I've heard people tell me they read the Bible in a year, in ninety days, even in thirty days. There's no other way to experience the whole story without absorbing it for hours a day.

But at other times, we need to read just a few words, and sit with them until they change us.

James 1:16 says, "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters."

When I was in seminary, I was deceived about my ability to grow facial hair. So for weeks, I persisted in not shaving, believing that, given enough time, a full beard would emerge. Let's just say that I can be unusually determined — or, as others might put it, stubborn and foolish.

Nevertheless, a beard was not growing on my face. Only an increasingly strange patchwork of babyface skin, longish hairs, and fuzzy, confused stubble. Yet whenever I looked in the mirror, I saw growing evidence that my 'look wiser with a beard' plan was making substantial progress.

Finally, in an act of mercy, two of my seminary friends took me for a walk after lunch. In the kindest of ways, they told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to go shave, now. Did I need a razor? Would they need to hold me down and take care of it for me? Could they pay for me to visit a barbershop?

I attempted to put up a manly resistance to their corrective guidance, but I knew they were right. Ten minutes later, I was clean-shaven and ready to show my face in public.

I was self-deceived.

Had you been able to read my mind, you would have seen a preposterous but entirely sincere belief that I had it in me to grow the beard of Socrates.

The truth hurt too much to believe it. I needed two dear brothers to help me see reality.

Why?

Because self-deception is a problem that can only be resolved by receiving truth from others.

It's not an incidental detail, but vitally important that James speaks to his original audience — and therefore, indirectly, to us — with affection.

"My dear brothers and sisters."

One of the reasons that people leave Jesus is that, for whatever reason, they don't experience Jesus' people as dear brothers and sisters.

Instead of experiencing a loving belonging to God's family, many feel they are being sized up, evaluated, and included or excluded in the same spirit of every other organization.

Have you felt that you are a dear brother or sister? Can you share that kind of relationship with one other follower of Jesus?

Have you felt lonely and excluded, even from God's people? I hope you will experience a warm welcome and meaningful friendships in the Uncommon Pursuit community.

But if we aren't offering the right environment for you, perhaps you can be the one to initiate change. Ask God for the wisdom, strength, and heart to offer friendship to another disciple of Jesus.

If we each start reaching out in love to a couple of other people, then by the grace of God, his intention that we be caring brothers and sisters in Christ will be fulfilled.

We need loving relationships with trustworthy followers of Jesus to experience spiritual growth. There's no way around it.

"Don't be deceived"

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living.

Jesus said, "Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?"

Reluctantly, I have some answers to this rhetorical question.

I don't notice the beam of wood in my own eye because of pride, self-righteousness, fear of receiving judgment, a preoccupation with judging others, all kinds of psychological defense mechanisms, shame, guilt, distraction, and busyness.

You might have a few other ideas about why I'm so oblivious to my own sin! I know the people close to me do.

For instance, in our series so far, we've discussed how we use the trials we are going through to justify our sin (and blame God in the process).

It takes prayer, Christian friendship, saturation in the Bible, godly mentors, and much more to see every circumstance—whether good or bad—as an opportunity to become more like Christ.

With God's help, have you identified yourself as a disciple of Jesus? Have you sought his wisdom to be faithful to Jesus in your current season of life?

How do we get out of the trap?

First, start by receiving the loving truth from your most loving and true Friend. God gave us the gift of his Word that we might know him, and gain wisdom for thriving as his beloved sons and daughters.

Second, invite trusted brothers and sisters in Christ to help you see your blind spots. This experience should lead you to feel loved, valued, empowered, and freed. You'll sense a gentleness, kindness, and sweetness in their counsel. If inviting someone to identify your blind spots leads you to feel small, belittled, condemned, or controlled, that's also helpful information. (If you can, in any way possible, seek to be far away from such people).

Third, do you feel that stirring in your conscience? It's trying to send you a message. You know you're going in the wrong direction. Will you sit, in the presence of a gracious and merciful God, and listen to what your heart needs to tell you? Write it down. Pray about it. See if it is neurotic guilt — or a stirring to live with integrity as a disciple of Jesus.

A final check: do you want to be deceived?

The truth is, we like being self-deceived.

It's far, far easier to believe that I am living a godly life than to actually live a godly life. Hypocrisy makes my life easier, simpler, and more convenient. I'm foolish, but not foolish enough to be a hypocrite because it's hard and expensive!

But my dear brothers and sisters, please, don't be deceived. God wants us to know the truth, because it will set us free (John 8:32).