Fake Hair. Real Worship.

This morning, as my custom most every Sunday morning, I dropped Becky off at church for choir practice and then went to a nearby McDonald’s to grab a biscuit and write a bit. While waiting to order, I noticed a couple of teen girls who are obviously on a cheer squad. It is almost 9:00 am, and they are decked out, including hair braids that go on for miles. It is all up on top of their head. The most intelligent lab rat could not find its way out of that intricate maze. I wondered how long it took them to get that hair done, and what time they must have been up to make it happen. I started thinking about all the people who skip church because they “can’t get up in time.”

I’m a curious guy, so after placing my order, I walked by them and asked, “How long does it take to do your hair?” They chimed in together with perfect cheer squad form, “It’s not our real hair. It’s fake.” “You got me,” I sighed… “mine’s real.” We laughed. The mother said, “It would take forever to do that.” I said, “Yeah… I can imagine. I figured they must have gotten up at 2:00 in the morning to get it done before 9. They were in town for a national cheer competition and placed 1st after the first day of competition. I wished them well, and they left.

I started thinking about their fake hair, and the fact that they would be cheering for all they’re worth for a team that wasn’t actually playing. That’s a lot of fake in order to win a real competition. I suppose it has to be that way for them. But I don’t want it to be that way for me. On this Sunday morning, there will be a lot of fake going on in churches across America. Fake hair, fake lashes, fake jewelry, fake smiles, fake blessings, fake prayers, fake sermons, fake prayers. I don’t want to be fake today. I don’t want to be fake any day. But frankly, on most days most people can’t tell if I am fake. But when I enter the presence of the all-knowing Creator of the universe (including this guy), He will not be fooled. He sees right through my hair, my smile, my prayer.

I am in no way making a judgment on those cheerleaders. That is how their world works, and I get it. But that is not how the world of honest worship works. And that is where the competition for my soul is held. God, help me to be real with you today, and every day. King David once wrote this in a song, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 24:3-6)

Check out more of David's work at Heart Of Ministry.

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