Break Free from the Prison of Pretending

In Psalm 119:45 I read, “I will live in perfect freedom, because I try to obey your teachings.” (GNT)

Pretending to be someone I’m not is exhausting.

Too many people have spent so much of their lives pretending that they don’t remember who they really are anymore. They spend all their energy and effort trying to fake their way through life, thinking it will give them the life they want.

This is a prison of pretending. I can be locked in this prison for two main reasons.

First, trying to please people. The Bible tells me how foolish this is: “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe” (Proverbs 29:25 GNT).

Second, feeling like I need to be perfect to be loved. Since no one is perfect, I’ll never feel truly loved if perfectionism is snaring me. This is made up by living in a pretend world, where I never make mistakes. Even worse, as I’m hard on myself, I’m also harsh on others. Everyone ends up in my prison.

Jesus once said of people who pretend to be something they’re not, “You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15 GNT).

What’s the cure for a life of pretending to be something I’m not?

Switching focus to what God thinks. God is the only one who knows me completely and loves me unconditionally. If I’m doing what God wants, then I’m doing what’s right.

The psalmist says of this kind of focus, “I will live in perfect freedom, because I try to obey your teachings” (Psalm 119:45 GNT).

I don’t need to scroll on my phone to find out who I really am. Social media can’t tell me how much I’m really loved.

Only God can tell me the truth about who I am—and that will set me free.

In summary, pretending to be someone you are not is exhausting. Too many people have spent so much of their lives pretending that they don’t remember who they really are anymore. They spend all their energy and effort trying to fake their way through life, thinking it will give them the life they want. This is a prison of pretending. I can be locked in for two reasons. First, trying to please people. How foolish this is: “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe”. Second, feeling like I need to be perfect to be loved. No one is perfect, This happens by living in a pretend world, where I never make mistakes. I’m hard on myself, and also harsh on others. Everyone ends up in my prison. “You make yourselves look right in other people’s sight, but God knows your hearts”. What’s the cure? Switching focus to what God thinks. God is the only one who knows me completely and loves me unconditionally. If I’m doing what God wants, then I’m doing what’s right. Only God can tell me the truth about who I am—and that will set me free.

In Psalm 119, the writer talks about keeping the laws and yet being free. Contrary to what we often expect, obeying God's laws does not inhibit or restrain us. Instead, it frees me to be what God designed me to be. By seeking God's salvation and forgiveness, I have freedom from sin and the resulting oppressive guilt. By living God's way, I have freedom to fulfill God's plan for my life.