Imitation Lemonade
Have you ever made fresh, homemade lemonade?
I haven’t because it takes too long, and I can just get a can of frozen concentrate and make a pitcher that tastes almost as good. Or even easier are my daughter’s favorites, the powdered brand or the lemonade in a pouch. Yes, these all tend to have things in it like high fructose corn syrup or preservatives that are not good for our bodies, but I just ignore those because with all of these, there is no huge effort on my part to make it. It’s easier.
With real lemonade, you have to take the time to cut the lemons, squeeze out the juice, strain out the seeds and pulp, heat up the sugar and water, and measure out everything. It takes time that our busy lives don’t have and added work.
Is it any wonder, we prefer to take the easy road?
I’d rather suck on sour lemons for a moment of time than spend my life drowning my soul in imitation lemonade. S. Hylton, Sour Lemons
For years, my soul was drowning in imitation lemonade, and I didn’t even realize it.
My children were struggling with various issues, and my husband and I were growing further and further apart. And my solution was to bear down, put on the strong face and barrel through it. Because I was determined to get through it with God’s help because He was my Rock.
However, my idea of God’s help, was really my idea of how to control things.
I was determined to take those lemons and make lemonade, but in reality I was making imitation lemonade. It wasn’t the real thing. It wasn’t what God wanted for me. He wanted to help me in HIS way, and His way is through surrender and vulnerability. His way is to deal directly with the emotions, the pain, the heartache. His way is the road less travelled.
I wanted the easy way.
I wanted to make everything look like real lemonade, without taking the time and hard work to make the real thing.
So, what is imitation lemonade in our lives?
It is not being real (i.e. transparent or vulnerable) with others, to ourselves and to God. It is living with blinders on and not being able to see and/or choosing to ignore the areas in our lives that need to be changed, healed or eradicated. It is believing that our past stays in the past, even if you have never fully acknowledged or healed from those wounds. It is not understanding the link between our emotional maturity and our spiritual maturity.
It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
Let me give you some examples I came up with. A few even come from my own life.
Imitation lemonade is…
Knowing something is wrong in your marriage, but you’d rather pull your head up high and keep plowing through than take the time to discover what is really going on.
Knowing your friend hurt you, but you choose to sweep it under the rug instead of talking about it with her.
Knowing your significant other or family member struggles with pornography, but you believe him when he says he has stopped instead of encouraging him to get the help and accountability he needs.
Knowing you are hurting inside, but you put on a happy and strong face instead of being vulnerable with someone.
Knowing your anger is hurting your family, but you choose to believe that it is just part of who you are instead of taking the time to figure out why you are so angry.
Knowing that every time you are around your family of origin you become a different person, but believe it’s all you’ve ever known instead of seeing it as something that might need to change.
I call it imitation lemonade but Peter Scazzero calls it “emotionally unhealthy spirituality” and he says it can be…
“Using God to run from God.”
“Denying the impact of the past on the present.”
“Spiritualizing away conflict.”
“Doing for God instead of Being for God.”
“Judging other people’s spiritual journey.”
“Dividing life into “secular” and “sacred” compartments.”
One of our greatest obstacles in knowing God is our own lack of self-knowledge. So we end up wearing a mask – before God, ourselves and other people. And we can’t become self-aware if we cut off our humanity out of fear of our feelings. Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
Wearing a mask, hiding from our feelings and not dealing with the why we do what we do, is imitation lemonade. And friends, God wants so much more for us.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
He wants to take away our yoke of slavery and instead give us an abundant life! He wants to invite us in to a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him. And He wants so much to free us from the soul drowning imitation lemonade that we daily live in.
For years, I asked God to walk with me. Then I realized God wanted me to walk with Him. Beth Moore, Breaking Free
This is what I did. I asked God to be with me. To walk alongside me. But I had it backwards. I needed God to lead me. I needed to walk WITH HIM, on the path HE wanted for me.
Can I honestly say on this journey I have stayed away from the imitation lemonade? No. Sometimes I will dip my toes in, wade in the shallows and even dive head first in the deep end because I’m human and imperfect.
But I am assured of one thing. I will no longer drown in it or be consumed by it.
Once you take a drink of His real, refreshing, soul satisfying lemonade, there is no going back to the imitation brands. Because when you get a glimpse of the freedom and abundant life God wants for you, and you feel the weight of the yoke of slavery slip from your shoulders, then there is no going back my friend. It’s only the real thing for you now.
So are you ready to get out of the pool of imitation lemonade and walk with Him so you can drink from the thirst quenching lemonade that only He can provide?
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If you are, continue to join me as we explore what it means to suck on sour lemons and the abundant life it will bring. See you next week!
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