Read Matthew 7:1–5
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:24 NLT)
We live in a world obsessed with image, identity, and self-improvement—but rarely in ways that honor the sacred self God already created. From a young age, we’re taught who to be, how to behave, and what parts of ourselves to silence if we want to be accepted. Some of us spend years trying to become the version of ourselves that others will finally call good. But what if holiness isn’t about becoming someone else? What if it’s about remembering who we were all along—the person God saw and called good from the very beginning?
Part 7: No Other Gods Before Me (Including the One You Pretend to Be). There was a time I stayed quiet. Not because I didn’t care. Not because I didn’t know. But because I wanted to keep the peace. I told myself I was being wise, pastoral, measured. I avoided “politics” in the pulpit and steered clear of anything that might upset the balance. People told me I was a good pastor. Faithful. Godly. Respectable.
But deep down, I knew I was performing.
Then George Floyd was murdered. And silence was no longer holy.
Truly, it never had been.
I remembered my vows—not just as a pastor, but as a United Methodist: to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. Not when convenient. Not when the congregation is ready. But always. At whatever cost.
That’s when I stepped into Christian activism. I started speaking publicly about privilege, injustice, and the need for not just equality, but equity. And while I still reject partisanship—because God’s kingdom isn’t red or blue—I stopped pretending neutrality was faithfulness. It wasn’t. It was self-protection, disguised as virtue.
And the same has been true around sexuality. For years, I kept quiet to “not rock the boat.” But Jesus didn’t call me to comfort. Jesus rocked boats—including the ones his disciples were in. Including mine.
It’s easy to make idols out of things we think are good—like being a “strong leader,” a “godly example,” or even “straight” or “cisgendered.” But when those roles become masks we hide behind… they stop being holy. They start being idols. And idols, by their nature, demand sacrifice. We lose ourselves trying to play the part. We silence our truths to stay safe. We distance ourselves from those who are different, just to maintain an image of purity or correctness. But that’s not righteousness—it’s roleplaying. And Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the performers.”
He said, “Don’t judge.”
Because when we put ourselves in the place of God—whether in judgment of others or in constructing an image of perfection—we break the very first commandment. “You shall have no other gods before me.” That includes the one you pretend to be.
We perform for many reasons: to avoid rejection, to keep the peace, to survive. But God never asked for the curated version of you. God asked for you. The real you. The broken-and-beloved you. The one made in God’s image, not built in someone else’s mold. The version the world told you to become might be admired… but only the real you can be free.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
We are never closer to God than when we stop performing—and start living in truth.PRAYER
God of truth, I’ve worn masks to survive—but you see through every layer. Help me let go of the false self I perform for others. When I’m tempted to seek approval instead of justice, remind me who I really am: your beloved. Give me courage to resist evil, not just quietly but boldly. May I live from truth, not fear—from love, not performance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).