Romancing The Rock

I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” [Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV]

It seems to me that the line between what is real and what is counterfeit becomes hazier all the time in this world. People seem to chase after a shallow resemblance of beauty, rather than pursue true beauty. Why? The real thing is either more costly or a lot of hard work. No-one is willing to make the sacrifice for something real anymore.

Imitation jewellery, imitation brands, cosmetic surgery, quick-fix weight-loss solutions. We have fake nails, fake hair extensions and hair colours, fake flowers. We can buy faux leather and faux fur. The list goes on. Some of our foods aren’t even the real thing anymore. You can get fake bacon, pretend sugar, plastic fruit. Even some of our photos are not a true image anymore if they have been shopped.

Now, I’m all for fiction and I’m not judging anyone who uses any of the above. In fact, I probably have a few myself. But, I do suggest that if we are not in pursuit of truth and true beauty, we are chasing after the wind. It is all a passing pleasure. After all, Satan is an expert at fake – he would steal our attention away from truth at every opportunity, and I think he would use these earthly counterfeits to do so. (See 2 Corinthians 11:14)

Truth and true beauty is in God. It is in the inner person. That is the beauty we should pursue. A godly character. A virtuous life. Integrity. Honesty. True security is in Him. True hope is in Him. True joy is in Him. True love is in Him. And when you realise all of this, that all our fulfilment and self-worth are in God, all of that temporal stuff becomes more or less insignificant.

“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” [1 John 5:20 NIV]