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REFLECTION
The theme for our reflection is “Keeping up appearances” Keeping up appearances means being a hypocrite or pretending to be who or what you are not. It also means hiding one’s true intentions and character by pretending to live according to societal expectations. We are going to reflect on the fact that keeping up appearances only temporarily favours us but has eternal consequences, for God sees and judges our real character and the true intentions of our hearts.

Beloved in the Lord, as disciples of Jesus, we are to show our true colours and not keep up appearances. Keeping up appearances is not a sustainable lifestyle because it has eternal consequences. God will judge us by who we truly are but not what or who we pretend to be. In other words, God sees and judges our real intentions and character. It is for this reason Jesus warned the religious leaders of Israel that “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28). Hypocrisy is the most common sin found among Christians. Hypocrisy or keeping up appearances is the most common sin because on Sundays we come to Church looking innocent and righteous. We have all the Biblical names connoting our status as men and women of faith. We sing, dance, pray, fast, read the Scriptures, preach and listen to the Word of God on Sundays and other days in the week. We make our friends, church members, neighbours and colleagues at work believe that we are men and women of integrity, honesty, and God-fearing yet behind all the aforementioned qualities portrayed by many of us, we wear a mask of deception. How is it that we have many Christians in political leadership in Africa yet embezzlement and misappropriation of state funds and corruption continue to be on the ascendency. We have the Johns, Marys, Josephs, Marks, Pauls, Elizabeths and many others with Biblical names at the helm of leadership yet issues and allegations of corruption and mismanagement of state funds and resources have become the order of the day.

Again, for some of us, those outside think or believe that we are loving, caring and faithful yet in our homes, we are the abusive, unfaithful and wicked spouse and irresponsible parent. Keeping up appearances make friends and colleagues at work think of us as trustworthy Christians but behind the scene, we are rather slanderers and gossipers determined to maliciously destroy the reputation of others for selfish gains and favours from our superior and others. Some Christians appear to be angels in the public sphere, but in private or at home, they are beasts. Dear friend, let us stop living a life of keeping up appearances and abide by Paul’s admonishment to the Church of Corinth when he wrote that “we make it our goal to please him (the Lord), whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). Hiding our true colours is not sustainable, although those around us cannot see them God sees them. It is only a matter of time before our true identity or true colours are discovered. It is not too late to repent if we have been keeping up appearances or living a hypocritical life. John assures us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

In summary, we have meditated on the theme “Keeping up appearances” We have discovered in our reflection that keeping up appearances only temporarily favours us but has eternal consequences, for God sees and judges our real character and the true intentions of our hearts.

PRAYER
1. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to overcome hypocrisy in our lives by faithfully obeying the Word of God.
2. Let us pray for the spiritual and moral transformation of our leaders and ourselves so that together we can build a prosperous nation devoid of corruption and injustice.

Holy Spirit, empower us to overcome the temptation of keeping up appearances. Help us to always live according to the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our true identity be guided and inspired by the perfect image of Christ so that in both our public and private lives we shall please God, our righteous judge. Amen.