How many people know the real you? The imperfect, true-to-life you? The you who is facing challenges? Struggles? Frustrations? Not the social media version of you where it appears to everyone scrolling (and trolling) that you’ve got it all together. Where you only post pictures of yourself with filters or make-up. Posts that tell the world that it is all good. Your life is just one blessing after the next.
There is so much pressure in the natural world to “be” a certain way or “look” a certain way. To achieve this or that. The fear of not measuring up and being judged by the world around us can be stifling.
Sadly, pressure doesn’t stop just because you know Jesus. And judgement doesn’t stop at the church doors or around the Bible study table. Let’s get real for a minute. I’ve listened to conversations where someone is being judged for listening to secular music or watching certain television shows. Or for not making time for devotions every morning. Christians judging other Christians for not being Christian enough.
Recently, I had dinner with several friends from church. These are new friends and women who are fiercely in love with Jesus. I love spending time with them. Yet as I sat there, surrounded by these kind and lovely women, I found myself wondering if I measured up. What if I said something wrong? What if they knew about this or that in my past. What if they knew what came out of my mouth yesterday when I was angry and frustrated? Would they judge me? Would they think my walk with Jesus isn’t authentic?
I’ve been thinking about authenticity lately. What does it mean to be an authentic Christian? Too many preachers stand in front of congregations each week choosing political correctness over Biblical truth. Too many believers sit comfortably in church on Sunday worshipping the Lord, only to worship money or status the rest of the week. Too many Christians gather in small groups and Bible studies to share the Word of God but avoid the dark places in the world that are crying out for salvation and hope.
Being an authentic Christian isn’t living a perfect life. We aren’t capable of that. And judging others to make ourselves feel better doesn’t honor Jesus. The truth is that the world needs authentic Christians! It needs people like you and me who are vulnerable and transparent. I’m not asking you to divulge your deepest secrets to the lady in the grocery store. But what I am saying is it is time to stop pretending.
Let me start. I lose my temper. And sometimes when I do, I use words you wouldn’t hear me use in church. I get frustrated and overwhelmed and instead of looking to Jesus, I try to figure things out myself. There are times when I react first rather than pray. I compare myself to those around me; sometimes feeling prideful when I think I’m doing better. I pretend I’m ok when I just want to cry. I am a flawed human who is beautiful and whole only because of the love of Jesus Christ. And more people need to see that side of me. Not in a whiney, complaining way. But in a way that makes it okay for them to not be okay either.
Several years ago, I was the speaker at a ladies’ weekend Bible retreat. I had spent weeks working on the message God placed on my heart. The retreat started on Friday, and I spoke four times over the weekend. On Saturday night, as I got up to speak, I heard the Lord say that He wanted me to share something with the group. This was a very personal story and one that embarrassed me. I couldn’t imagine He was serious. There I stood at the podium, arguing with God in my head. At one point, overcome with emotion, I turned my back to the crowd to hide the tears streaming down my face. When I turned around, I laid my heart bare. As I did, I thought surely, they are going to wonder why they ever invited me to speak.
And then God revealed the power of authenticity to me for the first time. While my message was well received, what resonated with the women – many who spoke with me one-on-one – was my vulnerability. I heard comments like “I always thought you had it all together.” Or “I couldn’t believe you would ever face something like that.” “If you can go through that then I can get through my struggle too.”
Authentic, by definition, is “of undisputed origin; genuine.” What God forced me to be that night wasn’t a speaker, it was an authentic daughter of the one true God. My undisputed origin is from my Father in Heaven. Origin means “the point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived.” We live because God breathed life into us. Genesis 2:7 tells us, “The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature”
That image should slay you. God could have simply waved a finger and given us life. But He chose, instead, to use His very breath to raise us into being. Every breath you take is derived from your Father in Heaven. Your very humanity comes from the breath of God. This is what makes us authentic. What makes us authentic Christians is when we use our breath to the glory of God, even when we fall short of the holiness of Jesus.
I am never going to get it right all the time. I’m always going to sin, no matter how desperately I try. I will use my free will to make bad decisions. I will use judgement to ease my own insecurities. But I have a choice. To pretend and hide behind a social media designed identity or to live an authentic, albeit flawed, life. To share my weaknesses so that others may grow stronger. To tell the truth so that others can shed their lies. To bear my heart so that others might open theirs to the love of a Jesus who forgives – always and all ways.
My closest friends – and I am blessed with some amazing people in my life – know the authentic me. And they love me anyway. And those ladies I shared pizza with? I know they love me, too. They know I am trying, every day, to be the best person I can and to share the love of Jesus. And what I’ve come to realize is that you don’t share the love of Jesus by pretending to have it all together. You share the love of Jesus by showing the world that your Lord and Savior breathes in and for you. And that in our weakness, we find our greatest strength. In an authentic, faithful God.
In what ways do you hide your true self? I encourage you to be real so that the love of Jesus might touch others.
This week’s accompanying prayer can be found at simplyjoy.online/prayers/used-by-god/make-me-authentic/
Amen!