From the 1955 song by the Platters, The Great Pretender, to people making believe they live in an unreal world, pretending has always been around. It masks reality, and feelings. Some people live their lives eluding what’s before them.
Pretending also lends hope in tough or dire situations. It inspires dreams and what-ifs. Back in ’72, the Raspberries sang, Let’s Pretend. One stanza goes, “Baby let’s pretend that tonight could live forever/If we close our eyes/And believe it might come true.”
That’s great! We can be like Walter Mitty-imagining things that might or might not be true. But, why imagine? We can come before God with our petitions. He will answer in His time. He’s not a genie, but He knows the intents of our hearts before we even know them! Better still, while we can pretend our nights or moments could live forever, or that our lives will go on through eternity, it’s best to know for sure! Check out this promise:
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:28-30).
So, we can pretend or we can be real and do what’s real. I can pretend to eating a cheeseburger, or grab the real thing. We don’t have to pretend we can live forever; receive Christ in your heart this instant and you’ll live forever in His ways!
God Bless,
Sam