BEING REAL MEANS ACCEPTING REALITY –

From the time David killed Goliath he became the object of contempt as well as celebration. There were those who rejoiced over his victories, and those who regretted his valor. He found himself running from the same man who offered him his armor to fight the giant, and for whom he played the harp to sooth his spirit. David realized this was not a dream, it was for real! He refused to live in denial that this was happening, just because he didn’t think it wasn’t supposed to be this way. He also knew that no matter what King Saul was doing, it was up to him on how he responded. So it took real faith to cope with this reality, instead of trying to pretend everything was alright.

“O LORD Eternal help me so I don’t have to put up with my critics single-handedly and fight these battles all by myself. Grab Your shield and armor and help defend me; pick up Your spear and javelin and point them at my accusers as You assure my safety by declaring, ‘I am your Deliverer!’ Let these people who are attacking me be disgraced for what they are doing, and humiliated because their plan to discourage me didn’t work out. For when they were sick I fasted and prayed and carried a heavy heart for them to be healed. When people saw me they thought I was part of their family or one of their closest friends; I had as much compassion for them as I would my own mother. But when I started suffering they actually got together and laughed about it; believe it or not these ingrates started bad-mouthing me, and I have no clue as to why they are so adamantly against me. So I ask You, let those who’ve made fun of my difficulties end up being embarrassed and disappointed and let those who said they were better than me be ashamed and humiliated. But for those who rallied to my side, let them stand up and cheer; let them say over and over, ‘To God be the glory, because He brought you through victoriously!’ Yes, I will tell everyone far and wide how fair and just You are, and won’t stop praising You as long as I live!” Psalm 35:1-3, 13-15, 26-28

Reflection: As he was leaving his office one evening, a young executive found his CEO standing in front of an office machine with a piece of paper in his hand. “Listen,” said the boss, “this is a very sensitive and highly classified document; my secretary has gone home, can you make this machine work?” The young man took the piece of paper, turned on the machine, inserted the document and hit the “Start” button. “I just need one copy,” said the CEO. The young associate turned beet red because the machine involved was the paper shredder! Let’s just say, the reality of the moment hit him like a baseball bat. David did not experience the same odd situation, but similar principles were involved. One of the most significant insights related to the dilemmas we face each day is this: All of us proceed through life coping with the real world while we try to build our fantasy world. This often forces us to decide between the way things exist and the way we want things to be, or think they ought to be. No doubt we’ve all heard the phrase, “Reality check.” God does not offer answers and give guidance for our fantasies. He knows we must deal with real issues, so He gives real advice for real challenges. In other words, it’s time for all believers to “Get real!”