Being Real

I have been thinking about being real today. That is authenticity. No smoke and mirrors. No mask. No fronts. Just plain old being real and truthful in who you are and how your relate to people. I know this is difficult if not impossible to completely real all of the time...but, something I strive for is to be real and honest as much as I possibly can. Sometimes, people don't even realize that they are acting in a dishonest manner...not so much as being dishonest in business matters...but being dishonest in how they present themselves. I think people sometimes create a false personna that they project in the presence of others and deep down they are not like that at all. Other times...people do that intentionally and purposefully because of what ever reason they have.

One thing that bugs me is people being real in worship. Some worship leaders come across as very authentic and others just leave me cold. I think that has something to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit both in their own lives and in the church service itsself. I can't stand fake people and they turn me off immediately. I hope people don't see me as fake because I try very hard to be real. When I play worship music...I try go to that place where I am in touch with God. Sometimes I can really feel His presence and sometimes it is just that still small voice and I struggle to make the connection. I wonder sometimes if some people ever make the connection. Being real is obscured by just doing what comes from habit...and that leads to lifeless and dishonest worship...at least in my way of thinking.

Reality sometimes is raw, offensive. Sometimes it may seem good to go to that fantasy land where unreality takes over and the real is covered up. But in the end you have a handful of nothing with only fake feelings, fake ideas, and a fake personna that others see truthfully and others may see as real while they go about leading their fake unreal lives.

I guess at some point you have to have a come to Jesus moment and open up your dishonest front and allow God to point out the hollowness in your own life. Realization of your hollowness can lead to growth and full dependance on God. After all, we are all sinners and come short of the glory of God. Yep...sinners. Hollow, fake shells of what is truly real. Now we see only dimly what is the truth of reality but one day, my faith says that I will know as I am known. Then REAL will have a true meaning.

So what is real anyway? I would hope that at the end of the day when it is all said and done that others will be able to point to me and say...He was the real thing. A little raw and rough around the edges but real...not some phony with a fake mask that changed depending on the crowd...but a real honest person that was open to all who crossed his path. Real. The Real McCoy...I think I have heard that somewhere before.