Honest to God

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Each of us has wrapped ourselves in layers of emotional camouflage, to cover up our fears and feelings of inadequacy.

Program Transcript

Have
you ever seen the cartoon of a little boy kneeling beside his bed, with a paper
bag over his head? “I’ll tell you what I did”, he confesses to God. “But I am
not going to let you see who I am.”

To
some extent we are all like that, aren’t we? Each of us has wrapped ourselves
in layers of emotional camouflage, to cover up our fears, our insecurities and
feelings of inadequacy. And often this camouflage becomes who we are, to the
point that we can no longer see what we are really like. 

Well,
you can get away with it for a while, but sooner than later you will be
exposed. I heard a story about a High School band that may or may not actually
be true, but it helps illustrate the point. Just a few days before the Spring
Concert, the director became sick and a substitute was brought in. Being new, he didn’t know the students.

On the
day of the concert, one of the trombone players approached his friend, and asked,
“Hey Joe, fill in for me on the trombone at the concert. I’ve got a big date
that night.”

The
friend protested, “What? I can’t play the trombone. I’ve never touched one in
my life.”

“That’s
no problem, Just watch the other trombone players. Do what they do. Nobody will
ever know.”

So Joe
reluctantly agreed.

The
night of the concert came, and Joe put on his friend’s band uniform and carried
the trombone to the stage with the other trombonists and band members. He
carefully watched the others, and picked up his instrument when they picked up
theirs. When the other trombonists seemed to extend their slides, Joe extended
his. He began to relax – he was getting away with it.

But to
his horror, he noticed that later in the program there was a piece of music that
called for all four trombones to play a brief trombone quartet.

When
that part came, the substitute director pointed his baton toward them. Joe rose
with the other trombonists. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he raised his
instruments to his lips simultaneously with the others. All four took a breath
and with a united motion pulled their sliding trombones in a gesture that
indicated proud harmony.

But
not a sound came forth. It turned out that all four were filling in for friends who were trombonists. They were all pretending and not one of them knew
how to play.

Hebrews
4:12 tells us: “…the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

We
don’t have to pretend with God. He already knows us inside and out, and loves
us anyway. As the following verses in Hebrews 4 go on to say:  “Nothing in
all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare
before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

That’s why
Jesus came – to put us into a right relationship with God and each other.

We can’t hide anything
from God, and we don’t need to. He knows our problems and he’s on our side. When
he saved us he knew exactly what he was doing.

I’m Joseph Tkach, Speaking of LIFE.

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Program Transcript

Have
you ever seen the cartoon of a little boy kneeling beside his bed, with a paper
bag over his head? “I’ll tell you what I did”, he confesses to God. “But I am
not going to let you see who I am.”

To
some extent we are all like that, aren’t we? Each of us has wrapped ourselves
in layers of emotional camouflage, to cover up our fears, our insecurities and
feelings of inadequacy. And often this camouflage becomes who we are, to the
point that we can no longer see what we are really like. 

Well,
you can get away with it for a while, but sooner than later you will be
exposed. I heard a story about a High School band that may or may not actually
be true, but it helps illustrate the point. Just a few days before the Spring
Concert, the director became sick and a substitute was brought in. Being new, he didn’t know the students.

On the
day of the concert, one of the trombone players approached his friend, and asked,
“Hey Joe, fill in for me on the trombone at the concert. I’ve got a big date
that night.”

The
friend protested, “What? I can’t play the trombone. I’ve never touched one in
my life.”

“That’s
no problem, Just watch the other trombone players. Do what they do. Nobody will
ever know.”

So Joe
reluctantly agreed.

The
night of the concert came, and Joe put on his friend’s band uniform and carried
the trombone to the stage with the other trombonists and band members. He
carefully watched the others, and picked up his instrument when they picked up
theirs. When the other trombonists seemed to extend their slides, Joe extended
his. He began to relax – he was getting away with it.

But to
his horror, he noticed that later in the program there was a piece of music that
called for all four trombones to play a brief trombone quartet.

When
that part came, the substitute director pointed his baton toward them. Joe rose
with the other trombonists. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he raised his
instruments to his lips simultaneously with the others. All four took a breath
and with a united motion pulled their sliding trombones in a gesture that
indicated proud harmony.

But
not a sound came forth. It turned out that all four were filling in for friends who were trombonists. They were all pretending and not one of them knew
how to play.

Hebrews
4:12 tells us: “…the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

We
don’t have to pretend with God. He already knows us inside and out, and loves
us anyway. As the following verses in Hebrews 4 go on to say:  “Nothing in
all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare
before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

That’s why
Jesus came – to put us into a right relationship with God and each other.

We can’t hide anything
from God, and we don’t need to. He knows our problems and he’s on our side. When
he saved us he knew exactly what he was doing.

I’m Joseph Tkach, Speaking of LIFE.

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