Honest to God
Why real faith means dropping the act—with God and others.
Over the years, I’ve known several people who, when asked how they were doing, would always say something like, “I’m blessed.”
Now don’t get me wrong—when we ask someone “How are you?” it’s usually not an invitation to share your life story. It’s just a polite greeting.
“Hey! How are you?”
“Oh, I’m okay.”
“I’m blessed.”
Some people say that for different reasons.
Some say it because they have a theology built around positive confession—if they say it, it will manifest. I get why. But to be honest, that theology borders more on manipulation than worship.
Others say it because they truly believe that no matter what they’re going through, they are blessed. And they’re right! Even on our worst days, God is with us. In Christ, we are sons and daughters of the Most High—joint heirs with Jesus. A dear saint named Carol Diddle was one of those in my life.
But there’s a third category I want to talk about:
Those who say it and don’t really mean it.
They don’t say “I’m great!” because they believe in positive confession. They don’t say “I’m blessed and highly favored” because of deep joy in the Lord.
They say it because that’s what good Christians are supposed to say.
Because it’s expected.
Or maybe… because it’s their attempt at holding it all together.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not advocating for “word vomiting” your life story every time someone says hi. I’m not suggesting that when a friend casually asks what’s up, you start with, “Well, the dog got into the trash, threw up all over the porch, I stepped in it, slipped, and landed on my pride and my backside.”
But I am saying this:
There needs to be someone—or better yet, a few someones—with whom you can be real.
Because here’s what I’ve learned:
When I hide what I’m going through from others, I eventually start hiding from the One who knows me best—my heavenly Father.
God takes honesty seriously.
It’s in the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not lie.”
Revelation 21:8 includes liars among those who face final judgment.
So… why do we lie to God?
Maybe not with our words exactly. Maybe we don’t tell God, “I’m fine” when we’re not.
But we do hold things back.
We rush through prayers before work or meals and sweep what’s really going on under the rug.
But just like honesty matters in our marriages, friendships, and ministries—it matters in our relationship with God.
In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive the early church. But they didn’t just lie to Peter.
They lied to God.
And they died for it.
Now, I’m not saying every dishonest prayer will kill you. But I am saying:
Some people are walking around with a kind of soul-deadness because they’ve stopped being honest with God.
In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet lets his frustrations fly.
“God, why are You letting so much evil go unchecked? When are You going to do something?”
That wasn’t something I was taught to say in Sunday School.
Then, when God answered him, Habakkuk didn’t like the plan!
“Wait, that’s Your solution?! That sounds worse than the problem!”
But here’s what happened:
Habakkuk wrestled with God—and in the wrestling, he developed trust.
The book ends with a hymn of praise.
Authenticity with God leads us through the hard times. And it draws us closer to Him.
Authenticity also matters in how we represent Jesus to others.
I’ve talked with plenty of new believers—or even skeptics—who say, “Christians just seem fake.”
And they don’t just mean hypocritical.
They mean performative.
See, faith in Jesus is not make-believe. And when we treat it like a show, people notice.
We come across like we’ve never struggled, never doubted, never fallen.
We come across less like saints… and more like self-righteous actors.
But when we’re honest about our struggles—our sins, our temptations, our doubts—it shows the world that grace is real. That our God meets real people in real places.
No sugar-coating. Just mercy. Just grace.
So yes—be blessed.
You are blessed.
But it’s also okay to say, “This is hard right now.”
To tell God. To tell your people. To not be okay.
Because that’s when the Father gives more grace.
That’s when the Church can rally around you.
That’s when others might look at your life and say,
“Maybe God can work in mine too.”
🪑 On the Porch…
It’s okay to not be okay.
🪑 Porchside Update
It’s been a full week here—between mapping, ministry, and preparing for our first Summer Shine Night (our adaptation of VBS) at Bethany Church. Yesterday, in addition to preaching at Bethany, I had the opportunity to speak at St. Paul Lutheran Church in nearby Pomeroy. Remember, God has not forgotten about small places.
I’m so grateful to see The Pastor’s Porch growing—Over 125 of you pulling up a chair to read and reflect with me. Thanks for being here.
Next week begins a new chapter, and I can’t wait to share more.
🎁 Don’t Forget the Giveaway
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👀 Coming Soon
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Let’s build something honest, hopeful, and Christ-centered—together.