One face

Previously I alluded to a conversation I had with a general in the faith. As I enquired of her as to the secret of her success in ministry, she emphasised the importance of having “one face”. These two words, though very simple and brief, are loaded with meaning. I reasoned that if she was encouraging me to have one face, conversely it was possible to have “two faces”. I have often heard of people refer to certain individuals as being “two-faced”. However, God in His infinite wisdom created us to have one physical face, as anything that has two faces is marred, maimed and a freak of nature. It may even be referred to as a monster.

In this discourse, I wish to explore the importance of understanding the causes of “two facedness” and later in the discussion we will learn how we can deal with this character flaw. It is amazing how the Holy Scriptures in their richness also include recorded instances of two-faced individuals. A close study of these individuals will assist us in our quest to reach the blessed state of having “one face”.

Having one face is a spiritual posture that is determined by the state of the heart. The condition of the heart will determine the number of faces that one possesses. The scriptures outlined below are pertinent as we explore how the condition of the heart determines the number of faces we possess.

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it.

I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing.

James 1:8

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

One of the major causes of being two-faced is a condition I will loosely refer to as dissonance. I am not drawing any inference to dissonance in a psychological sense (as I am not a psychologist). The dissonance I refer to is defined by the Colin’s English Dictionary as “a lack of agreement or harmony”. The Contemporary English Dictionary further unpacks this word by stating that dissonance is “a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant when heard together”. This second definition resonated with me as I love music and enjoy various genres ranging from gospel to jazz, my favourite instruments being the saxophone and violin respectively. I can as a result appreciate just how vexing it is to listen to a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant together.

Can people be so divided and possess “two faces”, the answer is a resounding yes! These two faces can present themselves in various forms especially among professing Christians. This does not mean that other people may not also be suffering from this condition. It is common to witness believers presenting one face in the presence of Christian company and another at home to their family members. While others may be known by one face to their friends and another when they are alone, in my estimation the most disconcerting presentation of two faces is when you thought that you were in a trusting relationship only to discover that the person was masquerading as something that they are really not.

From a spiritual perspective, “two facedness” can be described as a person’s beliefs that are not harmonised or synchronised with their actions. Belief is an issue of the heart, and is manifested as convictions that are ingrained in my heart and spirit. My actions should be in sync with my beliefs, failing which I can safely conclude that I am suffering from the dissonance. The ideal scenario in a believers’ life should be that their beliefs are reflected in their thoughts, speech and should ultimately be manifested in their actions. Professing believers should be living and acting out their beliefs. What I think, should flow with what I say and do. When this fails to happen and the opposite takes place where we believe one thing, but our thoughts, speech and actions are not harmonised, people (especially those who do not profess to be believers) observe us in bewilderment. I have often heard people disparage Pentecostal believers particularly, because of this apparent dissonance in their lives.

I have noted eight causes of dissonance.

Our socialisation could be a contributing factor to this form of dissonance. I recall when I grew up that if an instruction was issued by an adult, even if it was not a parent, as a child or younger person you acceded to the request without question, neither could you express an opinion about how you felt about the request. This becomes a learned behaviour where people can do things that they have no conviction about. While we need to respect our elders we need to also develop the ability to be able to be truthful to ourselves, cultivating integrity so that our words match our actions. Someone once said “I’m sitting on the outside but still standing on the inside”. That is dissonance epitomised.

Wrong foundations: Over the years, in my interactions with people in ministry, I have met many people whose lives are based on the wrong foundations. These people live a lie, building mega images that do not truly represent who they are in reality. I once heard a man of God G. Shana refer to these people who live these fantasy lives as “crocodiles outside and lizards at home”. These types of people spare no expense to feed and perpetuate this lie and façade.

Offence: Unresolved offences may also result in dissonance. An individual may be grieved and hurt and yet fail to express their true feelings. They feel one way inside and yet portray a calm or happy façade.

Lack of fortitude: Fortitude is strength of character in the face of opposition or pain. When faced with opposition or pain, a person fails to stand for what they believe. What they believe is compromised because of the difficulty or pain of the situation.

A fine example of the lack of fortitude, was exemplified by Peter when he denied Jesus three times after having spent three years with him as his closest aid and confidante.

Being a man pleaser. I have encountered many “man pleasers” these are people who will not tell you the truth you need to hear no matter how serious a matter is. These specialise in telling people the things they would like to hear, with the full knowledge that this information may not be entirely truthful.

Fear of man: People who fear men more than they fear God who knows everything. People who pretend in the presence of other believers, but reveal their true selves when they are alone. These are those the scriptures refer to as wolves in sheepskin, who try to conceal themselves in the flock of unsuspecting sheep. I am of the opinion that this is the greatest down fall of modern Pentecostalism.

Lack of fear of God: The fear of God has been obscured by the pursuit of things that are not at the top of God’s priority list. This is evidenced by Christians who tell blatant lies and exhibit gross hypocrisy. These are operating from a seared conscience.

Insecurity: When an individual finds themselves in a situation where they feel insecure and lack confidence. It is often difficult to ring true and exhibit courage of conviction.

Dissonance has fruit and it manifests itself as the following exasperating traits

Untruthfulness: You lie often because you are afraid to say what you really believe to be true.

Deceitful: Putting on masks to keep people believing what you what them to. You put on a charade of respectability, afraid that people may really discover your true self. This behaviour over a prolonged period can open the door to Satan and the spirit of deception can come into your life.

Failure to keep your word: Because you do not make heartfelt promises, it is easy to break them. Ultimately you may be labelled as unfaithful.

Unstable: Because a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Lack of commitment to see things through and finish strong: You continuously over-commit yourself to things you have no conviction about. People around you suffer from disappointment as you do not see things through to their logical conclusion.

Unanswered prayer: Your heavens become as brass because your heart is not clean before God.

As we move through the rest of the week let us remember to endeavour to have “one face”. What you are inside should reflect on the outside. As the scripture aptly states “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways”. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. May your thoughts, speech and actions be synchronised and harmonised.