Perception

I was talking with some friends a few days ago about what kind of car we would drive if we could have any in the world. Ironically, the conversation was spurred by our observation of the great number of really nice, really new cars there were in the church parking lot as we were leaving.

I've heard of stories where someone wealthy "blesses" someone else with a good deal on a really nice car that they probably otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. Most times I've seen this happen within a church congregation. I understand the good intentions (and am definitely not discouraging generosity), but sometimes I think we overlook the ramifications of such things.

I believe that perception is often no different than our acceptance of reality. Take the new car thing for instance. If I were given a really nice car, only a few people in my life would know that it was a gift. Everyone else would just perceive that you were attempting to acheive a certain lifestyle.

I was given a really nice black North Face jacket a few weeks ago, and wear it quite often. I would say that maybe five people know it was a gift, and everyone else assumes I spent $90 or $100 on it. Again, I am not saying there's anything wrong with trying to look nice or whatever. I'm just realizing that my life looks a certain way to other people, regardless of whether or not I know that my motives or intentions were different than they perceived them to be.

Our beliefs are validated by our lifestyle. Take Shane Claiborne for instance. People test him all the time when he's on the road speaking. "So, which hotel are you staying at?" Since he stays with families to save money and build relationships when he travels, his beliefs are validated by his actions. James 2:14-26 has a great deal to say about this.