Jesus said:
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
– John 8:31b-32
Paul wrote:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
– Ephesians 5:1-2
There are people who stake a claim to a certain “nobility”; however, their actions are merely a way to hide their suffering and/or failure in some other aspect of their life. For example, a woman who obsessively dotes on her children and grandchildren because she’s in a miserable marriage. How about the man who works long hours and makes a lot of money to proclaim he’s such a great provider, but the truth is he just doesn’t like his own wife. Then, there is the person who devotes themselves to church service, happily receiving praise for their actions, but the truth is they secretly desire the approbation of a world that has rejected them. Instead of focusing on their root issues, these people spin a tale of false nobility, amplifying one aspect of their lives while starving the other parts which desperately need their attention. They are lying to themselves.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
– Proverbs 12:22
The human flesh is crafty enough to spin dysfunction into so-called acts of nobility.
Playing pretend is hard labor, especially when you’re a believer and God the Holy Spirit is persistently asking you to examine yourself. Is being someone who dotes on loved ones, or provides for their family, or helps at a church a good thing? Of course. But it’s only good in God’s eyes if the motivation is correct. There’s nothing noble about a person enlarging one aspect of their lives in order to cloak some type of dysfunction in another part of their life.
Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
– Psalm 86:11
The Bible teaches us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”(Matthew 6:33), right? Well, in God’s kingdom, His children are to be noble, not pretend to be as an escape from some deeper issue. Spinning dysfunction into nobility avoids underlying maladies. It sidesteps the root cause of a person’s misery, that ought to be faced head on, by cloaking it with something less painful. This so-called “nobility” sounds more like cowardice, doesn’t it?
Cowards aren’t noble. When’s the last time a coward became a successful king? How about the King of kings, is He a coward? Just the opposite, actually. Nobility isn’t a badge you wear, it’s a character trait.
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
– James 1:18
Hiding behind false nobility is never the solution to your problems. It’s just a mask you’re wearing, temporary relief at best. Eventually, your own good conscience will run you down (with the help of God the Holy Spirit, of course) and you’ll end up back to where you were when you decided to put on this charade, only a little older and a lot wearier. So, now’s the time to come clean about things that aren’t right in your life. Now’s the time to pray to God about those dark places in your soul that you have hidden away. Now’s the time to be honest with yourself, others, and most of all, God. The longer you go on pretending, the deeper the pit is that you must crawl out of later. Best to start now.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
– Philippians 4:5-9
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins