“Your fraudulent post has broken our community standards. Further attempts to sell imitation or fake items as genuine articles will result in suspension or even permanent removal of your account.”
I read the message from the online marketplace in stunned silence. Then my mind exploded.
“Fake! Whadda they mean fake? I bought it myself. And I paid good money for it at a reputable store. No way it’s fake!”
Red-faced and sputtering like an old tractor with bad fuel, I fired off a response, appealing the decision and requesting a review. Within an hour, I received a polite but terse answer, with pictures to show the difference between my bag and the real thing. The genuine: made in Spain. Mine: made in France. Otherwise, identical.
Their message concluded with a repeated warning: No more fakes!
“Ugh.” I groaned to myself. “Not only did I pay too much for a fancy-dandy handbag for my wife that was too small to hold all her stuff, but now I’ve got to tell her it was fake, too. Merry Christmas to me!”
No one likes a fake, whether product or person. In fact, in a December 2022 survey of adults nationwide,* non-Christian respondents identified “the hypocrisy of religious people” as the top reason they question Christianity. It seems the collective behavior of believers has “broken the community standards” of the faith. And the world has taken note. Sadly, the One they reject is the Savior who loved them, gave His life for them, and is the real thing without question.
In a world fed up with fakes, I want to be more like Timothy. In the opening sentences of Paul’s second epistle to the young pastor, he described Timothy’s faith as “unfeigned,” like the faith of his mother and grandmother before him. I believe Paul used this Greek word anupokritos deliberately.
Used only six times in Scripture, the word describes something real, sincere, and genuine, without pretense or hypocrisy. It was used to communicate sincerity, authenticity, and integrity in the areas of love, wisdom, and lifestyle.
No fakes!
As I ponder Paul’s compliment for his young friend, I can’t help but wonder: Is my own sincere faith obvious to everyone around me? Do I model genuine faith for my family to follow? In the balance of 2 Timothy 1, Paul shared several characteristics of genuine faith:
Prayer (verse 3)
A right spirit (verse 7)
Faithfulness through suffering (verses 8-12)
Willingness to help others who suffer (verses 16-18)
Perhaps it’s time to lay the picture of our lives beside the real thing and ask, “How do I measure up?”
