Growing up in North Carolina, I saw some odd Latin characters on our seal and around other symbols of our state. This latin read "ESSE QUAM VIDERI" which translates to "to be rather than to seem". I always liked this phrase because it seemed to cut through the mess you are often sold by those around you and instead focus on what you actually are. To borrow another phrase, "talk is cheap".
Spiritually, we must seek to "be" rather than to "seem". Many Christians and churches are more than happy to "seem". They seem to follow the general principles of the Bible. They seem to do all the normal "Christian" things. They seem to be generally nice enough. But what about when life throws legitimate challenges their way? What about when society forces them to change? Will they continue to only seem focused on a mission or will their actions prove that they are willing to "be"?
King Saul was often the epitome of "seeming" rather than "being". In 1 Samuel 15, we read how he executed the orders of God by totally annihilating a chief enemies of God's people (the Amalekites) who had tried to exterminate the Hebrew people in the desert following the Exodus... at least he seemed to execute God's orders. In reality, he did most of what God asked for, but still took some of the plunder from the fallen Amalekites and spared the life of the Amalek king, all of which went against God's wishes. When Saul has the gall to question why God is so anger, stating that he had done "pretty much" everything he was asked to do, this was how God responded through the prophet Samuel...
22 Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
God wasn't interested in the fact that Saul he paid lip-service to obeying his mission (e.g., "pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices" v22); God wants individuals who are going to stick in there and hold true to their mission, even when the going gets tough. Anyone can follow Christ when nothing is asked of them; it takes true dedication to remain faithful to God when we encounter persecution, obstacles, and resistance to our calling.
So what can we learn through Saul's bad example? Don't try to simply seem like a disciple of God... be a disciple of God. When we fail, we have to get back up. When things get tough, we have to endure and seek God's strength to power through. When something is inconvenient or threatens our pride, we have to be willing to push ourselves aside and let God take center stage.
So let's all seek "to be rather than to seem". Let's be more than cheap imitations of those who seek to serve God and instead actually prove, through our actions, what truly matters the most.
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