Mom's Devotional Bible
The Real Thing
Additional Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 17:10; 2 Corinthians 3:17—4:2
Someone once remarked, “The closer we get to someone, the more our impression will depend upon who they are rather than what they do.” Counterfeits don’t fool many, especially family members. If we want our families to adopt the spiritual principles we believe in, we’ll have to model them with sincerity. Living this kind of life out before our husbands and children and the world means showing them the “real thing” and not just some semblance.
When Joel writes about rending our hearts and not our garments, this is what he means. Anyone can look like they belong to God on the outside, tearing their outer garments in grief about their sinful state the way an Old Testament priest might. But those with genuine faith rend their hearts. They open their hearts to God and to others for inspection.
We can’t fake it with our kids. We won’t be able to fool our husbands. The longer they live with us, the more their impression will be of who we truly are, not just what we do.