Ryan K. Nelson

My daughter is AMAZING!!!  I love to go on “Daddy Dates” with her.  We’ve had so much fun.

One year, around Valentines Day, we went on a very special date.  She put on here princess dress-up gown.  It was just a cheap dress bought for the purpose of being a costume, but it was undoubtedly, in her mind, her princess dress.  She was beautiful.  Not beautiful like I see my wife–whom I always refer to as “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” but beautiful  in the sense that she desires so much to be a princess and to look special for our date.  It was quite beautiful.

We went out.  I bought her flowers.  She picked out a tie for me to buy so I’d match her dress.  We went to a nice restaurant.  The house musician serenaded her.  It was a special day for sure.

But, all of this, while special in the moment, was a masquerade in her imagination of what it would be like to be a princess.  I call her princess.  I want the very best for her.  But, she’s not royalty in the sense that she was born into a king’s family (I understand there could be a discussion about being born into God’s family–that’s not where this is going).

This sense of fantasy and make believe is cute when you’re looking at a 3-year-old little girl living in that world.  But, so often in the church we see adults living there as well.  We have this make believe idea of what it means to be a Christian.  While some believe when you accept Christ everything is perfect from that point on. Others believe that you have to “look like” a Christian and not have anything appear to be wrong in life.

THAT’S ALL MAKE BELIEVE!!!

The real Christian walk is ridiculously tough.  The real Christian walk is uncertain and requires faith.  The real Christian walk is not meant for the eyes of other people.  That’s all make believe.

The real Christian walk is meant to be lived out for God.  If you’re living this Christian life for other people then you’re living in a Make Believe world.  You can stop it.  In fact, I don’t just want to give you permission to stop I want to insist that you stop.  STOP IT!

Galations 6:1-5 says:

¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ²Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵for each one should carry his own load.

Don’t miss verse 2 where it tells us we are to “carry each other’s burdens.” You were not meant to keep your burdens to yourself.  You were not meant to live alone.  You were meant for community.  You were meant to be supported and encouraged by others.  That’s why I believe in 33 Home Groups so much.  That’s why I believe you need to be a part of one of our 33 Homes or a part of some other small group community in which you share your real life journey.

You don’t have to live in a make believe world.  You really need to quit playing make-believe and start living in the realness of your life–hurts, warts, and all.  Let’s quite playing Make Believe.  Get plugged into a small community that encourages you to be real.