The Deception of Perception

GIVING THEM CHRIST

Growing up along the Gulf Coast of Texas (my family home was only 30 minutes from Galveston Island) this time of year always spelled one daunting reality, hurricanes. Even as I type this a tropical system (Hurricane Beryl) is bearing down on the people of Houston, while we here in Freestone County celebrate some days of lower temperatures and much-needed rain. It is interesting how a cause for anxiety for some is a cause for praise in others, but that’s a point for another devotional.

Anyone who has dealt with hurricanes, or the threat of tropical weather, knows the drill of this time of year. A system develops in the gulf, and the forecasters and weather models display wide landfall and weather impact ranges. Seemingly the entire Gulf Coast braces for impact as the storm models change minute by minute, second by second, and even once the storm seems to be pinpointed, it can change its direction at a moment’s notice. Tracking models look like plates of spaghetti, all the while people wait with baited anxiety to see where the storm makes landfall.

The results are usually the same, one area gets the right forecast (or the more accurate) while the other is slammed, surprised, or let down by the results of the ever-changing nature of the weather’s course. When a thunderstorm warning is issued, your house may not be affected while your neighbor’s house may have downed trees or lost power. This is not to say that those who issued the thunderstorm warning were necessarily wrong, they were just making the best decision based on the information they had at the time.

Sometimes we get things wrong, make poor decisions, or simply handle things poorly. This is the nature of humanity and one in which God completely understands. The issue of when something turns from mistake to deceit is how we handle our confronted wrongdoing. We must all accept that poor decisions, uninformed actions, or selfish ventures can inevitably lead to people being hurt. As a Pastor, there have been several times that I neglected the needs of a parishioner, didn’t listen as closely as I should have, or did not treat a situation with the Holy respect they deserved. All of which result in pain and damage being done. The only solution, as I see it, is in those moments when we are confronted with our mistakes, we confess them in earnest and then seek forgiveness in the aftermath.

This approach is not very popular in today’s world. The need to be perceivably right can far outweigh the need to be an authentic Christian. You will be humbled by this approach and will not be the greatest of all time, but you will be something more important, you will be an example of God’s grace. God has humbled me with people in my life who are willing to be open and honest with me when I have made mistakes. This has been one of the greatest blessings in my ministry. Those persons have kept me humble and allowed me to grow both as a Pastor and as a person. It is when we put on the facade that we are never wrong, never make mistakes, or even try and push the blame upon those we have hurt that we become deceivers.

Deception is something that is done knowingly and willingly, with the desire to control the narrative to one’s favor. To avoid being a deceiver simply adopt the words from scripture found in 1st John, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You could also look at the words from Proverbs 28, “ Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

We must be confessors of our mistakes, owners of our transgressions, and repentant to those we have wronged and most importantly to our Lord. Such humility can be molded and reformed by the hands of almighty God.

Our meteorologists are not being deceitful when they make mistakes, they are just doing their best and providing as much information as possible. They are often the first to acknowledge their mistakes and point out their limitations. To avoid being a true deceiver one must simply be honest with themselves, others, and most importantly God. Do not allow our human need to be “right” to overlook our divine call to love others and admit to our mistakes.

May we be blessed by the rain received this week, and may our Lord watch over those who will be negatively impacted by the forces of this storm. Also, may God cultivate within us all the desire to humble ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and be graceful towards those who make mistakes as well.

Stay safe and dry this week brothers and sisters!