Fake or Real?

None of them would give their name, preferring to stay anonymous. Yet this group of professional musicians — among the most accomplished in the world — all admitted that, at times, they resorted to being a fake. Instead of playing the notes as written, they revealed that they engaged in faking it.

Why did they resort to fakery? Sometimes, they simply did not have enough time to practice to master the notes. Sometimes the music was difficult to play. To this point, the principal cellist from a major orchestra, discussing the “Storm” from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, admitted, “I don’t play it; I fake it. I never even met anybody who could play it!”

When playing some contemporary pieces, faking was mentioned as necessary by as many as ninety per cent of the players. Some musicians had become such experts that they developed techniques that aided their fakery, like good posture, making plausible gestures, and avoiding contact with the conductor’s eye.

But faking is not just a subject for musicians. Many people employ various techniques in life in an attempt to fool others. They fake their way on their jobs. They try to deceive others in their communities. And some try to fake their way as Christians. They learn how to smile at just the right time and say the right things, quote enough Bible verses, and pray with the right vocabulary.

Yet, in reality, God knows their hearts. He knows when they are faking and being hypocrites. He knows their real attitudes and beliefs, the real condition of their hearts and minds.
In your life, ask God to deliver you from this spirit of hypocrisy. Don’t waste your time trying to impress others, or pretend you are something you are not. Be honest with God. Surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus. Be authentic. Genuine. Clean and pure.