Image, Madison Avenue would have us believe, is everything. Every decision we make is colored by the question, Will I look good and appear competent if I do this? We live in a self-promotional culture, taught from childhood to toot our own horns. The only thing we like to be secret about is our failures, be they personal or moral in nature. Christians are not immune from this situation. In fact, we've got it worse. We not only want to be successful and attractive, we also want to have it all together spiritually.

Spiritual image management can decide what church committees we hope to serve on, whom we befriend (and don't), and the issues we choose to share with others about our spiritual life. If someone says, "I've spent hours on my knees" praying about a situation, what are they telling you? Is it possible that their motives ...