I have a rant. I don't usually rant (at least online), but I feel that this needs said.
I am tired of fake people. I am sick of looking at Facebook and Instagram and seeing perfectly cropped and edited pictures and stories. If someone wants to post about something tragic or painful they have to put a spiritual spin on it. I see post like, "this hard thing happened, but God is good and here is an inspiring verse that I am encouraged by." Sure. If this is truly your response, fine, but what about when it's not? I think that there is nothing wrong with posting something like: "This hard thing is going on, please pray for me." That's it. No need to say how much we have learned because of this trial. There is no shame in telling people that you feel like your life is falling to pieces. They probably feel the same way.
We all have that one friend (or many) on Facebook that ALWAYS posts about how awesome their devotions are and how they are the most amazing Christian because they are doing this really spiritual activity (accompanied by a heavily edited Instagram picture of their Bible and a sunset to emphasize that they got up REALLY early to be extra close to God). What does the Bible say about praying to get attention? "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
(Matt 6:5-6)
This is not just a social media problem. I see this in real life. The biggest example of this to me is worship leaders. As a fallen human being, I have a hard time believing that every time that you get up to lead worship that you are able to joyfully worship God. I know there are weeks that I can barely stand to hear the music, there would be no way for me to sing praises in front of the church or school. I know that leaders have the responsibility to lead, I understand that, however, it is not necessary to try to act like everything is fine. I think people will understand if you choose to say that you are having a hard time. I think your team should be able to step up and help you if you need to take a break. If you get to worship and realize that your heart is not right, what is wrong with asking your fellow vocalists to help you sing because you are incapable. One of the hardest things that I have ever done is tell the group I was leading that we were not going to have worship because I was not in a position to lead at that time. I am not telling you about it to make me look good. It is hard to talk about, I felt like I was weak, like I was letting everyone down. But instead, they understood. They were not angry. They saw that I was a real person who struggled like everyone else.
A leader that I greatly look up to is not afraid to deal with her struggles in a real way. She feels free to cry while leading if she is struggling and ask for help from the rest of the team if she knows she is not doing well. This doesn't make me think poorly of her, I respect her for it. I love her more for it.
But I see so many leaders get up week after week and put on a flawless show. Always the same passion and excitement for worship. I have a hard time singing with these people. I can't help but think about it. I know that my opinion of someone should not affect my worship, but it does. I beg leaders to think about how they are coming across. And maybe, if you realize that you are fake, tell your team. Admit your imperfection to them. Trust me, they will understand. They are broken themselves. Take the time that you need to work through things. Be honest with others and with yourself, but most importantly, be honest with God. He knows. Trust me, He knows. If you do not humble yourself, He will humble you. Speaking from experience, this is not a fun experience. I beg you. Be real. You will not lose respect, you will gain it.
