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Dear Arthur and Sandra:

How do you reconcile "putting on the new self" which is contrary to our natural, sinful selves, and not being hypocritcal and fake? For example, let's say I'm having a bad day. How can I genuinely smile and minister to a miserable girl sitting by herself?

I appreciate your question. I think we all wrestle with those exact feelings and thoughts. I think the truth of the matter is, we are all more or less hypocrites to God and each other. There is so much unconscious and sub-conscious stuff in us that we have little or no control over. Even the small percentage of thoughts that we do try to take control over are full of inconsistencies. We, or should I say, I, could never come to God thinking that I am totally pure and have all godly thoughts and passion for Him. I will look forward to the day after I die when I might be able to be fully sanctified and be able to approach Him without hypocrisy. As long as I am in the body, I don't think it will happen.

If we, therefore, cannot be consistent with God, how much more are we a bundle of confusion when it comes to others? So, for starters, I think we should ALWAYS approach God with full humility and "worminess". We can never approach Him self-righteously. We should always approach Him as "poor in spirit" (naked and cringing in a dark corner). He already knows fully our frailty and inconsistencies.

As for other people, what good would it be if we were to let all people know all our likes and dislikes of them and others every moment of our fluctuating life? We know our evil and critical thoughts, but would it be loving to let it "all hang out" so we wouldn't be "hypocritical"? I think we are being hypocritical when we DENY our true feelings. I don't think we are being hypocritical when we recognize our lack of love, commit it to the Lord, ask Him for love for so and so and move on.

He already knows if we don't like a certain person. We might not be "hypocritical" to act out our dislikes and offense of someone, but in that case, we lack discernment, wisdom, and self-control. If there is someone we don't particularly "like", we need to confess it to the Lord, ask Him for love for that person and patiently wait on Him to reveal what the next move may be. In the mean time, we don't spread slander, although we can seek godly counsel. After praying about the situation, the Lord may guide you to seek reconciliation with the person, but I don't think the Lord would ever guide you to be vengeful, embarrass the person, or be rude to the person.

Sandra

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Total Devotion is the High School Fellowship at Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles.

Total Devotion meets on every Friday night from 730 PM to 10 PM in Room 131 except for the last Friday of each month.