You hold your head high and put that “Jesus-smile” on your face.
Right before you walk through the church’s front doors.
You’re a true Christian if anybody ever saw one.
You’re a Sunday school teacher and you sing in the choir. You volunteer for the nursery and VBS and work days and door-to-door visitation. You take part in missions trips, and you give to the building fund.
You’re ready with all the right answers. You even lead in prayer.
People know you’re spiritual, and mature, and responsible. When everyone else slacks on the job, you’re there from start to finish doing the dirty work. When everyone else lacks vision, you’re ready to take on the world. Discipleship classes, evangelism outings, conferences, ministries . . .
That’s the key word. Ministry. You love to “minister.” To be involved in “ministry.”
And your ministry looks good.
You’re that perfect Christian that everybody loves. You just have this zeal that’s inviting and contagious.
What are you so excited about? Jesus, of course. You love him and want to serve him and glorify him and live for him . . .
But do you really know him?
When’s the last time you desired him. Felt depleted because you hadn’t heard from him.
When’s the last time your first thought was him. Your first reaction was to talk to him.
When’s the last time you read your Bible. Because you wanted to.
Do you even know what it says? Not just a handful of verses painted on mugs in Christian bookstores. Not just the basic do’s and don’ts. Not the book names sung to a cute, childhood tune.
That “Jesus-smile” says you know the Lord and love him and want to do what he says.
But do you even know what he says?
[image credit: pixabay.com, journeyoftheword.com]
Journey of the Word 
Good exhortations. Several of the things you mention are things that are frustrating to me as I observe others doing them exactly because of the reason you’re talking about: they’re missing out on the meat of the relationship and settling for the cotton candy.
On the plastered smile thing: I don’t mind smiling at church, I know we’re supposed to be joyful, etc., but I also think that being surround by believers is the one occasion we should not have to wear a mask. If you’re hurting, you’re hurting. I’d rather see someone burst into tears because they know they’re safe enough to and be able to come alongside them with encouragement or simply a hug – as opposed to saying they’re just fine and dandy and wearing a plastic smile. I’m talking about being authentic with each other. Just a side thought to your topic. 😛
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Thank you for sharing, Jennifer. Great thoughts. Yes, sometimes we smile because joy is a choice. I just know, from being the one who played this part for some time, that a smile doesn’t necessarily mean that you know God deep down, or even that you are truly his. A smile goes a long way in the art of pretending, and I fear many Christians and non-Christians alike use it as such. May we take care to examine ourselves and display on the outside what is truly on the inside.
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Knowing the Lord is truly a wonderful thing. I don’t know where I would be without Him. It’s sad that there seems to be a lot of pretenders these days. I won’t go so far as to say they are not saved, but I would say many seem to not know what God says and so naturally don’t have much of a relationship with their Savior. I wish more people truly knew Him instead of pretending. They may think they are great, but they don’t know what they are missing. There’s nothing like a true relationship with God because there is none other like God.
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Smiles can only last for a little while. Eventually they will crumble if the smile is not based on the foundation of Jesus and the gospel. Thanks so much for this reminder. The Jesus smile is so easy to slip in to. Thanks for linking to Waiting On…Wednesday!
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I love your posts they always make me sit back and think. I appreciate you sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Have a wonderful week ahead!
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What an interesting and thought-provoking post!
I found your blog today on 100 Happy Days.
Hope you have a blessed day today~
Melanie
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Love this reminder that it’s pretty hard to love what (or whom) you do not know! May God help us to love Him with our heart, soul, and MIND as we get to know Him through His Word.
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