Are You A Poser?

Romans 12:2 says in the Good News version, ” Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect”.
 
As I was growing up, the word “poser” was used a lot. What is a poser? A poser is a slang term for someone trying to be something or someone they are not. No one wanted to be something that wasn’t real, yet no one really was who they were. We all wanted to be something or someone, other than who we were, something better or someone tougher…like motorcycle riders. As most of you know I REALLY like motorcycles and REALLY enjoy riding them. There are two types of riders, people who just ride occasionally and enjoy the experience and camaraderie. They do not make any more of it than that. They ride the dressers and the Gold Wings and the Metric bikes, with all the latest gadgets. But then there are riders that try to act like a hard-core Biker. They run out and buy a big bike and throw on a worn leather jacket that they bought pre worn from a cycle shop. They ride like a crazed maniac since they think it makes one “look bad.”. But the first sign of rain, they have to run and get their bike into the garage, so it doesn’t get dirty and really who wants to get wet?
 
On the other hand, there are those that ride just because that is just the way it is supposed to be. When the physical and emotional pains of life get heavy, they jump on their ride and just head down the “white line” and within minutes, the chaos is gone and the peace returns. I am a mix of both those riders. Being a Biker is not about jumping on a Harley (in my case, a VX1800), or being wild and acting like a maniac. It is not what you wear or the colors you wave, looking tough. It’s a mindset. It is a spirit of freedom one gets from riding a bike and enjoying life to the fullest.
 
What makes you a Christian? Is it the church you attend? Is it how nice you dress and the size of your bible? Or is it the Spirit of your freedom from your salvation and enjoying every day to its fullest in a new life in Christ? 
 
Why do posers pretend to be bikers? Because they want to be like them. Because they feel that bikers have something in their life. In the same way, people should see that we as Christians have something different in our lives which causes them to want to obtain it.
 
Just like the riders that wear the leather coat and put on the dew rag and jump on their weekend bike so that they can feel like they are a Biker, a lot of people think that they are a Christian, but deep down they know that they are not living like one but rather they are living just like the rest of the world. They are just being a Poser! I say this because I know it is a fact. I have even caught myself falling into this trap.
 
Being a Christian is like being a true Biker, it’s not what you wear or where you go to church, but it is how you live your life. This includes how you live your public life AND your private life because God will see both and He is your judge. All too often, we say that we are a Christian, but then we are ensnared by the worldly pleasures (money, sex pride greed etc.) and then our witness is tarnished. Even if we think no one notices. Are you a Poser, wanting to be a Christian but not living the life of a Christian?  Something has to happen on the inside of you, a transformation from a Poser to a Child of God. We here at HFC have people ready to help you go from being a Poser to a real-life Child of God! Will you come and join us this Sunday? We would love to meet with you and help you with the transformation!
 
Elder Charlie Flanagan