Praying To Be Sincere - To Live "What You See Is What You Get"

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

I  don’t know about you but I get tired of watching the news sometimes – particularly those that feature politicians and pundits who are trying to address issues of the day.  Each one says what they’ve been told to say that they hope will keep the electorate on their side.  It’s often far removed from the truth of the situation.

I was reading recently about a lovely character quality – sincerity.  A sincere person is one who is honest, who doesn’t create false impressions, and who doesn’t operate with selfish motives.  What you see is what you get.  They do the right thing for the right reasons.  They don’t have a hidden agenda. 

My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.  Job 33:3

The meaning of the word sincere comes from the ancient practice of pottery making.  In ancient times when making pottery, rocks need to be sifted out of clay or pots made from that clay have defects.  Deceitful potters who were too lazy to do the sifting would fill the small holes created by the stones with wax.  Later, when the buyer heated the pot, the wax would melt, and the pot would leak.  Good potters, whose clay was sifted, would write on their pots “sine cera” – without wax. 

This asks the question of us today, are we as genuine on the inside as we try to portray on the outside? 

God wants us to know who we are in relationship with Him and then live that out with truth and grace in all our human relationships. 

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 

1 Timothy 1:5

Let’s pray about that today shall we.

God, we know that we need to say what we mean and mean what we say without lies or exaggerations or evasiveness.  Help us today to be honest about what we think or feel – expressing ourselves with respect and politeness for sure -- but not thinking one thing and intentionally saying something else.  Help us in every area of life to be sincere and to “walk the walk not just talk the talk.” 

We want to live before You, God, and others with sincerity of heart. Help us to practice being honest in all our affairs and not merely seek to gain advantage for ourselves.  When we are impressed with something that has been done right, help us to give a compliment with sincerity.  When we have done something wrong, help us to take responsibility and apologize with sincere regret and a willingness to make things right. 

With Your help God, we can live as a person of sincerity today. We want our lives to reflect these words:

Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 

2 Corinthians 1:12

So, Heavenly Father, Please work in us today so that any character defects that would keep us from being sincere are brought to light and removed.  Amen

There is a peace of mind and sense of well being that comes when we walk in sincerity.  Jesus said that we would know freedom as we walked in truth.  Let’s have  that kind of day today.