In the Body of Christ I have heard these words quoted often, “Fake it till you make it.” I have even heard these words spoken from across the pulpit. For a time those words didn’t bother me that much, until about 3 months ago. I was reading the Word and came across the account of the fig tree listed in Mathew 21:18-21. What really stood out to me were verses 18 and 19:
In the early dawn the next morning, as He was coming back to the city, He was hungry. And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once. (Mat. 21: 18-19 AMP)
In this account Jesus was hungry and was looking for some nourishment. He looked and saw a leafy fig tree. One thing to know about fig trees is that when leaves appear it is a sign that it has figs. But to Jesus’ surprise there wasn’t any fruit, thus Jesus cursed the tree such that it never produced figs.
Then I thought that if we faked it till we make it then would we be as this fig tree? Would we be advertising something to the world that ultimately we didn’t have; something that was needed; something that is used to bring nourishment?
Sadly this mentality of faking it till you make it has squeezed its way into the church. This is a very dangerous mentality to have in the church. We have those in the body who are acting like they have it, but when the rubber meets the road it is discovered that they don’t. We are in a war; the battle between God’s army and satan’s. There is nothing like being on the battle field with someone who you believe has all the necessary training to fight, but when the heat is turned up you find that they don’t have what is needed. This not only puts you at risk but everyone with you too.
In scripture the fruit was needed to bring nourishment for someone (JESUS) who was hungry. There are those out there who are hungry for God and are looking for places to find some nourishment. But when they arrive at a particular fig tree (i.e. a particular part the Body of Christ) that is advertising that it has fruit and that it has the very one thing needed to cure your hunger, they find out as they got close that there was no fruit. That person is turned away in disappointment and in some cases angry. Because of this that particular part of the Body of Christ credibility is destroyed such that it won’t be able to produce fruit due to being cursed.
We also have those pretending that God has released a particular type a anointing to them and we in the Body believe them because of the leaves we see. The leaves are what I like to call patterns or personalities. Just because someone takes the microphone during prayer and screams in it doesn’t mean that their prayers are reaching the throne room of God in heaven and that He will answer their prayer over someone who is soft spoken. Just because someone can sing or in some arenas sang, doesn’t mean that demons will flee.
We must push pass the leaves and look for fruit and stop assuming that if we see leaves we will find fruit.
So what must we do?
NOT FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT
We have to root out all the philosophies and doctrines of the world from the Body of Christ. We have to stop pretending we have something when we know by Holy Spirit we don’t. We have to be real and say we don’t know when we don’t. We have to wait on GOD’s timing and if he wants us to have a particular anointing (i.e. fruit) let Him give it to us in HIS TIME and until then be true to ourselves and real with God and man. We can’t fake it because too many lives depend on the fruit to eat.
Also one thing to keep in the back of the mind is that Jesus will pay us a visit to see…
But each one's work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire - the fire will test the quality of each one's work. If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; if it is burned up, he will have to bear the loss: he will still escape with his life, but it will be like escaping through a fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13 – 15 CJB)
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