Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. 11 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

      What is it about some artists’ work that tickles the optic nerve, then takes our entire being into the work of art, where we experience the life of it? I believe that authenticity is what draws our full attention to what gives us life, and what we feel in art and creation. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. God is authentic, and everything He does cannot be faked or replicated to the perfection of His touch. Even diamonds made in the lab do not possess the same authenticity as those formed by God through the intense heat and pressure within the Earth’s mantle. I believe one of the things that man is chasing is authenticity, but because there is so much that is fake within a human’s heart, the authenticity feels elusive and out of reach.

      I shared this experience in another article. I was walking through the Honolulu Museum of Art, and I was attracted to a Pierre-Auguste Renoir pencil drawing called Dance In The Country. I do not know why I was struck with such awe, but I was. From one foot away, I stood very still for the longest time and beheld a simple pencil sketch that had captured an authentic moment in my mind while moving my soul. I did not notice the time go by until the lights started to dim, as the lights were on a motion sensor monitor. I realized I had not moved from that position, and I was the only person in that display room. What a God moment of authenticity that was for me. This print was absolutely filled with life; it had activated a force of creation within me that could not be faked.

      I was enjoying the very presence of the Lord. God and I were both admiring this small pencil drawing, and I could not separate God from the awe I was feeling. Gen. 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. Just before I left the museum that day, I went back to see the Renoir one more time, and again, it held me and filled me with clean and pure joy. My optic nerve had been tickled, and God used Mr. Renoir’s authentic gift to bless me and let me rejoice in the giftings of others. Rom. 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be authentic with yourself and others, and the genuineness of our hearts will break forth into the joy of the Lord.

      Samuel lived an authentic life as a prophet of God. From his childhood to becoming an adult, Samuel stayed true to God, resulting in the ability to stay true to himself. 1Sam. 3:19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. Even though Samuel was surrounded by fake mentors and priests, God was able to protect him. We often blame our environments for the terrible choices that were made over the years of our past. Samuel had Eli and his sons as examples. 1Sam, 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD. Eli’s sons were stealing the offerings and using their priestly authority to deceive women into immoral acts and manipulate the people into giving more than was required. Eli did nothing about it, but voiced a few platitudes about breaking God’s law. This caused the people to see the whole sacrificial system as a fake process to be ripped off, and they hated being part of this religion. 1Sam. 2:17 Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

        Did Samuel have a regular prayer where he asked God to show him when he was faking religion? Maybe it is a prayer we need to adapt. Father, in Jesus’ name, show me where I’m faking it in my life. Show me how to overcome my unhealthy needs that cause me to fake it in the first place, and grant me the faith in Christ to fight the good fight of faith towards the falsehoods that I cling to. Rom. 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

      We cannot fake being righteous because who we are will eventually show itself. Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? An authentic life in Christ will produce the righteousness of God throughout our inner man. Our spirits were created to be attracted to the beauty of the Lord. We can’t help but be allured to the glory of God because eternity has been set in our hearts, and we have been looking for His infinite beacon from the day of our birth. The artist can see the faint echo of his final design before he starts the work, and we can feel the faint echo of our eternity within our spiritual peripheral vision. That authentic knowing of our origin in God’s thoughts is always pulsating within our spirit. Jer. 1:5a Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

      When we are walking circumspect in the Lord’s righteousness, we are being authentic, and when we keep missing the mark by choice, we are faking it. Therefore, choose which attribute you will live with and own the results. Josh. 24:15b But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.