Children inhabit a world of make-believe. A million LeBron James and Duane Wades live all over the land, flying through the air, slam-dunking mini-basketballs into hoops four feet off the ground. Quarterbacks, ice-hockey stars, and Indy 500 drivers populate our neighborhoods. Little mamas snuggle life-like infants, cowboys lasso steers, and little pastors preach sermons from makeshift pulpits. It’s the pretend world, idyllic and perfect. Nothing goes wrong in this world. Nobody gets hurt, there is no lying, no cheating, no stealing, no disappointments. In the pretend world, daddies always come home, mommies always kiss away the bumps and scrapes, and kids always get new shoes. If only the real world was as good as the pretend world, pretending would disappear. Yet, many people hang on to ideas that are merely elaborate schemes of pretending.
1. Let’s pretend that sex and violence, alcohol commercials, and constant ridiculing of God on television are not hurting our values.
2. Let’s pretend that “R-rated” movies with their raw language, vulgarity, immoral plots, obscenity, and anti-God attitudes are harmless.
3. Let’s pretend that no church attendance, prayer, Bible reading, and spiritual conversation with God are not important.
4. Let’s pretend that our children and teenagers never lie, fib, or misrepresent the truth to their parents.
5. Let’s pretend that kids know nothing about sex, that that it never enters their mind to do anything immoral.
6. Let’s pretend that our teens are immune to peer pressure about sex, drinking and drugs.
7. Let’s pretend that the old excuse that “everybody’s doing it” doesn’t work anymore to tempt our kids to do wrong.
8. Let’s pretend that STD’s can never impact us. Kids don’t need to know about such things, and anyway, it’s too embarrassing to talk about.
9. Let’s pretend that our attitudes, interests, conversation and behavior have no effect on the kids.
10. Let’s pretend that there is no real devil.
11. Let’s pretend that all roads lead to heaven, and that the only thing necessary for a person is to be sincere in what they believe.
12. Let’s pretend that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary was just a small blip on the screen of time.
13. Let’s pretend that God basically stays out of our lives and that He only wants us to be happy, guilt-free and live to please ourselves.
14. Let’s pretend that the Bible is an out-of-touch book written by a bunch of old men hundreds of years ago and has no relevance for us today.
Ahh, the pretend world! It’s always just right. A gentle breeze always blows, the temperature never varies from seventy-two, roses don’t have thorns, flying insects never bite, no one speaks unkind words, no enemies seek to destroy us, and there are no worries, troubles, or problems. It’s a perfect place. Trouble is, it just doesn’t exist. “And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. The devil is trying to sell us a bill of goods. He wants us to believe that the real world is too scary to deal with. The only way we think we can survive is to fabricate a pretend world where we can continue to believe things that are not true.
There is a real Jesus. He gave us a real gospel. The cross was real. The death of the Son of God was real. He shed real blood. He was laid in a real tomb. He really came back to life. He will save us from a real hell. It will take us to a real heaven. It is time for you to get real and get saved. Get a grip on reality. Pretending never works. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.