Counterfeit

Life has so much to offer. Everywhere we turn, the wonders of creation and the blessings of the creator abound. Everything has been planned and designed perfectly for our happiness and well-being. There is, however, a subplot in the great scheme of human existence. That subplot represents the dark side of creation, and of our inherent nature, and it can be found in the form of counterfeits. Even if you don’t believe in Satan and sin, one must admit that there is a dark side of humanity and creation, an evil which is the antithesis of all things good. Most often, it manifests itself in counterfeits of the traditionally wholesome things in life. Food is wonderful, and we need it to live, but gluttony and eating disorders twist and distort it. Love is amazing. Yet, life is filled with lust, selfishness, pride and all manor of co-dependent, dysfunctional and depraved substitutes. Beauty can bring us great enjoyment, but we have twisted, injected, dyed and dieted the concept so as to rob most people of their sense of beauty and self image. Money comes in handy, but the empty quest for it has become a black mark upon our western civilization. Precious stones and metals seem to have lasting value, but a host of other products mimic them expertly. That is the world we live in and whenever we accept a substitute, we degrade the value of the original ... and He who so painstakingly created it. In this world we can spend years working for things which, in the end, turn out to be of but little value. Then we discover all our efforts have purchased us no more than wax fruit or the plastic cheese used to bait a mousetrap. Let us , therefore, choose wisely what we will cherish and consider impact it will have on our lives and families. Counterfeits can be useful and beautiful, but they never seem to stand the test of time ... and certainly not the test of eternity.

Counterfeit
Believers know God has a plan
Yet, there is another plan in play
For the evil one is a counterfeiter
Who leads the weak astray
By imitating the good things
That the Lord prepared for us
Perverting them ever so slightly
So that we misplace our trust
He offers lust instead of love
Twists food with gluttony
Makes the gift of work a quest for wealth
Turns blessings to depravity
He strews our path with idols
Of most every shape and size
Which clamor for attention
From our unsuspecting eyes
Tantalizing all our senses
With countless sugar coated lies
The great deceiver draws us into
His fateful web of compromise
Until we can no longer
Distinguish counterfeit from real
Wooed by his empty promises
With all of their appeal
So those who would be faithful
Must guard their hearts and minds
Against the world’s counterfeits
Lest they awake one day to find
That they have bought the bill of goods
The master counterfeiter sold
And traded all God’s blessings
For idols of mere fool’s gold
           By Frank Carpenter ©