The Counterfeit

Have you ever been stuck with a counterfeit bill, only to learn that what you thought you had was merely disguised as the real thing? I did a little research and learned that producing counterfeit money requires a great deal of investment, not only in purchasing the right products and tools but also, it requires an investment in time, effort, and practice to produce the counterfeit that looks and feels precisely like the real thing. This is the same when it comes to counterfeit people; they invest in what they’re doing and practice deceitful tactics repeatedly until it becomes so natural to them that they can pass for the real thing.

James 1:14-15: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.”

First, it is important to understand that the counterfeiter's behavior reflects a deeper issue of their inner spiritual struggles. They are often stuck at the point where they were initially injured, whether as a child or as an adult. This is why it seems we encounter children in the bodies of grown men and women in our society; they have never allowed God to heal them, and thus, they are stuck mentally at the point of their hurt.

Counterfeit people will use tactics to manipulate others through flattery and deceit, attempting to cause confusion and deflect their bad behavior onto you. They lack genuine empathy and compassion and seek only to serve their own interests at the expense of others. With the prolonged practice of this behavior, these individuals become entangled in their web of deceit and trapped in the false identity they created to deceive others. The concept of counterfeit people can be linked to various scriptures in the Bible, as well as the condition that occurs for lack of repentance and rejection of truth. A reprobate mind is given over to irrational pursuits of sin that are destructive to the soul and body and the people around them. These individuals are tightly wrapped in their false identities, which leads to deeper darkness.

You will need to separate yourself from the counterfeit and overcome the pain that counterfeit may have caused. This challenge is essential to your personal growth and self-discovery, but you can emerge wiser and even more compassionate, ultimately turning pain into an opportunity for growth and transformation. You must forgive yourself when you learn what has happened and recognize that if you have encountered a counterfeit, it wasn’t that you weren’t smart enough to detect it because you don’t practice deceit. You must also look at yourself in the mirror and be forthcoming and honest with yourself because the truth is that sometimes the red flags are all around, and the choice was made to ignore them. Deal honestly with yourself, forgive the counterfeit, and move on.