The cheese that wasn't a cheese

A man out walking noticed a nice round cheese in a window display, and entered the store.  Human beings are curious, and he was no exception, so he stuck out his walking cane and gently tapped the cheese.  If anything, it should have made a dull "thump", but instead it gave a little ring.

Investigating further, the man saw that the "cheese" was actually a fake.  The store owner, so as not to have to put out a fresh cheese in the window every day, made a ceramic model, then painted it over to look like the real thing.  It looked delicious...but not even a mouse would have wanted to actually eat it.
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Several things would help one to realize that the cheese was a fake:  appearance? smell? sound?  taste?  It looked all right, but it rang instead of thumping, it didn't smell like cheese and one couldn't really taste it, as it wasn't edible!

Sometimes people's faith is like that...even those who claim to be believers.  The outward appearance may not give it away...but that's no proof.  "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.""  (I Samuel 16:7)

Our faith in God should "smell right".  "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one {the perishing} we are the smell of death , to the other {the believers}, the fragrance of life."  (II Corinthians 2:15)

As believers we can rely on the "sound" of our faith.  "Whether you turn to the right or to the left,  your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.  (Isaiah 30:21)  Do we share the Source of that "sound" with others? 

And what about "taste"?  "How sweet are your promises to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)  Do we share the "taste" with others?
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The fake and the real.  It comes down to what each one produces, it's "fruit"  The fake cheese was a false promise and produced disillusionment, disappointment and unsatisfied hunger.

And that of our faith?  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22)

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May God help us to be real, not fake...producing fruit that attracts others to Him and doesn't disappoint, but offers satisfaction for the soul. As Ephesians 5 :15 says, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise."