Pretender

Bible Reading: Matthew 15:7-9; Titus 1:15-16

“Look,” said Adrian, pointing to an insect he and his sister Eva had caught out in the garden. “Maybe it’s praying!” Sure enough, the bug’s forelegs were folded together as if in prayer. “Let’s see if we can find out what it is.”

The kids searched online and found a picture of the bug they had caught. “It’s a praying mantis,” said Adrian.

“Does it really pray?” asked Eva.

Adrian laughed. “Of course not! Bugs don’t pray. I wonder what we should feed it?” He scrolled down the webpage. “This says they eat other insects,” he said. “They like to eat their prey alive.”

“Gross!” said Eva, wrinkling up her nose.

“It says here that if you put a small piece of meat on a string and move it in front of a praying mantis, he may think it’s alive and eat it,” said Adrian. “Let’s try it!”

Adrian put a tiny piece of hamburger on the end of a string, and sure enough, the mantis lunged for it.

“So, did your new pet like the food you gave him?” asked Mom.

Adrian nodded. “The website we found said praying mantises are really vicious little creatures. It said the female will even eat her husband if she gets hungry enough.”

“You little hypocrite,” said Mom, looking at the insect. “You look so pious with your forelegs folded like that, but you’re a pretender—you’re not pious at all.”

Eva giggled. “That would be a good name for him.” So Pretender he became.

Whenever Adrian looked at Pretender, he felt a bit funny inside. At dinnertime, he folded his hands and said “Amen” after his parents, but he never cared to listen to what was being said. I’m just like that bug, he thought. I’m not really praying—I’m just pretending. Adrian knew Jesus loved him, and he pretended he loved Jesus too. But he had never asked Jesus to be his Savior.

As Adrian snuggled down into his blankets one night, God seemed to be whispering to him, Haven’t you been a pretender long enough? Suddenly, Adrian tossed off the blankets and got up. I’m going to talk to Dad! he thought. I want to quit pretending and become a real Christian. – Matilda H. Nordtvedt

How About You?

Are you just going through the motions so others think you’re a Christian? Do you go to church and act like you love Jesus just to please your parents or go along with the crowd? Stop pretending! Become a real Christian by trusting in Jesus today. (See “The ABCs of Salvation” in the column to the right.)

Today’s Key Verse: Matthew 15:8 (NIV) These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Today’s Key Thought:

Don’t be a pretend Christian