Counterfeit God's and Secret Service Christians

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil 4:8).

When Secret Service agents are training to sniff out counterfeit currency, they spend years studying, examining, and memorizing the real thing.  This way the agents can tell when currency is fishy simply by its feel, its weight, or the little red and blue fibers in the paper.  They've spent so much time with the real money that they can discern whether a bill is fake in a matter of moments.

This seems like a good and productive methodology to apply to spiritual matters.  Perhaps we, as believers in the Lord Jesus, should not spend so much time examining the counterfeit, the false, and the incorrect; and we should spend more time memorizing the good, the right, and the godly.

I think of my years as a musician.  My journey to become a guitar player forced me to spend less time listening to my paltry playing or my friends' meager attempts, no!  In order for me to learn what great guitar playing was I had to listen, to examine, and study greatness so that I would know it like I know my own hands.

The above verse is but a snippet, a snapshot taken from the photo album of Holy Scripture, but I think it is a good list to think of in these terms.  We should study and study these godly traits.  This means a dedicated pursuit of that which is of God.  In a real way, we need to invest the necessary time so that we will know the things of God so well that we can discern that which is not of God with ease (to be sure, this is done in partnership with the Holy Spirit).  Above all, this is an active endeavor, not a passive or latent growth.  Let us then set our minds to do these things not only so we will know God more but also so that we will see the fakes more clearly!