Real or Plastic?

            ​This past week I’ve heard an interesting story in the news as well as through social media.
           It seems there was this woman who had purchased a plant, a succulent. She was determined to take the best care possible of this new plant. She kept it on her kitchen window sill, watered it faithfully, wiped its leaves to keep it shiny and free of dust. Whenever anyone attempted to water it, she would not let them help, afraid they would harm her plant.
           After taking very good care of her plant for two years, she decided to replant it to a larger container. When she removed it, she discovered that it was a plastic plant in Styrofoam. She was both disappointed and embarrassed at her actions over the last two years.
           After recovering from her embarrassment, she posted her story on her Facebook page, this story of course went viral!
           Now, I don’t know if this a true story or not, but it started me thinking about our faith.
           There are those who have a faith they take care of, but won’t let anyone near enough to help them. They tell people they are Christians. But rarely if ever attend church or read their Bibles. Their faith is for show.
           The story in the Bible about Nicodemus (John 2:13, 3:1-17) and his questions to Jesus illustrates this in the way that Nicodemus questioned the LORD. Jesus’ response to Nicodemus was in the form of a question, “How can you be a teaching in Israel and not know these things?”
           It is important that we as Christians study the Word of God. We need others to show us the way, to help us along the way.
           We need others to help us prevent our faith from becoming a faith that is plastic.
           We here at Grace do this on a daily basis as we instruct the children in the way of the LORD.
           Our faith is an alive active faith. It is a growing faith.