As the old saying goes, imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but to be a counterfeit anything…well, that’s just worthless. Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
As a teenager I worked in a small variety store after school and on weekends. I cleaned, stocked shelves and occasionally worked the only cash register. Of all the days I worked there, one stands out above rest. I had been stocking shelves during my shift, but late in the afternoon the local bank president came into the store to warn us about a counterfeiter in town. I immediately opened the cash drawer and spotted the phony $20 bill on top of the stack. It was a poor copy at best, especially when compared to genuine currency, but at a glance it passed for the real thing. We had been duped!
Though the loss didn’t come out of my pocket, I still felt cheated and resentful. Imagine, then, how our phony words and actions make others feel. God expects us to be genuine and he knows when we’re faking it. Being a counterfeit in character and integrity…that’s just worthless. Don’t slide through life as a poor copy, be the real thing!