Many young people today speak of celebrities and other people around them living fake lives because they want to be labelled 'influencers' and get paid good money by big brands. But unfortunately, this also happens to older people; we are surrounded by inauthenticity and deception.
We are cautioned today to look out for those that come into our lives claiming to be of God or bringing goodness into our lives. We can think of the many examples of such people in our society and personal lives that bring deceit into our lives. Sometimes deception comes into our lives disguised as good, making it hard for us to see it as it is; we are encouraged to always ask for the gift to
discern what is from God and what is not.
Fake pastors and prophets are unmasked in the media often, especially in South Africa. We have seen the destruction and chaos these fake pastors create; sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, lies about the kingdom of God, fraud and corruption, and so on. It's easier to recognise these actions by fake pastors as not
of God. However, actions from our pastors in our communities or churches might be less easy to identify or remember because we have personal relationships with them. Our love and care for them might blind us to things they do that the Holy Spirit does not inspire.
The Lord commands us to love one another. From this, we can identify if our beloved pastors are acting
out of tune with God in their actions with us and others in our communities and churches. We are invited to call this out as the deceit we are warned against today. We should not be afraid or act like we cannot see this inauthenticity.
I invite you to spend some time today reflecting on your relationship with God. Ask for the grace to know him intimately and the
ability to see people sent by him in your life.
