Playing Dress-Up

Playing ‘Dress-up’

An activity that is common to almost every person growing up is pretending to be someone. Children ‘dress-up’ to be movie stars, athletes, musicians, doctors, nurses, policeman, firemen, soldiers, teachers, husband or wife. It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t ‘pretended’ to be someone that they admire.

The proliferation of the internet has taken pretending and has lifted ‘dress-up’ to a whole new level. People are now able to be almost anyone they want to be in a ‘virtual’ life. The news regularly reports on people who spend more time living out their ‘virtual’ life than they do their real life. In the virtual world I can be younger/older, taller/shorter, lighter/heavier, and richer or have more achievements. I can have the personality that I wish I really had. I can remove the ‘warts’ that are so apparent to people in the ‘real’ world. Whatever I would like to be – I can be – in the virtual world.

Down through the centuries - ‘Dress-up’ has been the activity of not only children but of adults too. Adults regularly ‘dress-up’ to impress people. ‘Dress-up’ happens literally. ‘Dress-up’ happens figuratively.

Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. (Proverbs 13:7 NLT)

People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.
(Proverbs 26:24-25 NLT)

One of the clear teachings from Jesus and from the first days of the life of the church is that God really hates ‘Dress-up.’ He never approves of people pretending to be something of someone other than who they really are.

Jesus said it this way: On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' (Matthew 7:22-23 NLT)

These are strong words to people who ‘Dress-up’ – people who ‘Dress-up’ as miracle workers no less!

Get Real!