Lately I have dwelt a lot on the idea of authenticity. The concept is so intriguing to me that it has led to serious self inspection, as you may have read in my last entry. Authenticity is a huge deal and the first step you can take is a step of willingness. So please, willingly step with me into a zone outside yourself once again.
Defining the word is usually a safe way to begin this kind of thing so here goes.
Webster Definition
1) not false or imitation; real.
2) True to one's own personality, character, or spirit.
I especially like the first definition. Don't be an imitation! Don't be false!
The church is filled with fake people. We are often just imitations of something we want others to see but not who we really want to be. Granted we have all been fake at times and fake people can be found proportionately throughout any environment. However I find it extremely dangerous in a Christian one because it is so easy to do. Listen to what the apostle John had to say. John 5:44- How can you believe when you accept praise from others yet make no attempt to obtain the praise that comes from the Lord.
And thus we find the problem with living in an environment of believers especially young ones. The big question is, am I who I am to impress others, to make friends, or to find a spouse, or am I am who I am because it IS who I am. Sorry, I overused "I am" a bit in that sentence but you get the picture.
I want to hone in specifically on something I feel many college students struggle with and that is relationships. I know I have struggled with it myself. It is so easy for us to idealize ourselves and express ourselves in such a way as to get someone's attention. Its what society tells us we have to do. In a college atmosphere of discontented single students, this creates a problem. The only way to counter it is to know WHO you are. You are not a mirror of the wants and needs of others which is so easy to fall into. Trust me, I know. Every personality assessment I have ever taken stresses this is my weakness and that has proven true many times. However, with Christ as my center and my identity, I find peace to be me. It actually has become a good measurement as to the authenticity of my relationship with Christ. If I am seeking the praise of others then it is because I have turned from the praise of God. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS THOUGH; enjoying praise is DIFFERENT from seeking praise. It would be stupid for me to claim I don't appreciate and find encouragement from the praise of others. We should daily be giving out praise to others as well! Seeking praise is exactly how it sounds: all of our actions are reduced to one sad objective; to gain just a little bit more praise from those around us.
It becomes much like an Inception scenario when you look into things like, am I acting in humility so that others know I am humble? Am I asking God for strength so that others see me as strong? Do I speak of Christ as my center because I want others think more highly of me? These questions are hard to ask and they convict me even as I write this.
Authenticity is not consistency in perfection but rather, consistency in how our behavior reflects the condition of our heart. Everybody is capable of being authentic right now and if that looks ugly then we know we have work that needs to be done in our hearts. Does that mean authenticity is telling everybody how you are feeling? No. Does that mean if you are broken inside you should cry all the time? No. It simply means don't say one thing and do something else or vice versa. It means be honest with those closest to you and humble with those you meet each day. It is authenticity in values and not necessarily emotions. Not everybody needs to know you're a wreck (most of us are) but they do need to see that your values are unchanging and planted firm in Christ, not for your own sake.
Check yourself and examine your motives. Don't just do it today but every day and before every conversation. Your authenticity has eternal weight to it, you cannot afford nor should you want to settle for a simple imitation.
It becomes much like an Inception scenario when you look into things like, am I acting in humility so that others know I am humble? Am I asking God for strength so that others see me as strong? Do I speak of Christ as my center because I want others think more highly of me? These questions are hard to ask and they convict me even as I write this.
Authenticity is not consistency in perfection but rather, consistency in how our behavior reflects the condition of our heart. Everybody is capable of being authentic right now and if that looks ugly then we know we have work that needs to be done in our hearts. Does that mean authenticity is telling everybody how you are feeling? No. Does that mean if you are broken inside you should cry all the time? No. It simply means don't say one thing and do something else or vice versa. It means be honest with those closest to you and humble with those you meet each day. It is authenticity in values and not necessarily emotions. Not everybody needs to know you're a wreck (most of us are) but they do need to see that your values are unchanging and planted firm in Christ, not for your own sake.Check yourself and examine your motives. Don't just do it today but every day and before every conversation. Your authenticity has eternal weight to it, you cannot afford nor should you want to settle for a simple imitation.
I really liked the perspective you brought on this. The only thing that I may disagree with is your "conclusion".
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you're saying for us to be true to who we really are and then you tell us to be humble, what if we're not humble at our core, we can't just muster up humility, can we? Or what if we are not firmly planted in Christ with unchanging values? Are we suppose to then try to show others that?
I am not 100% sure that this is what you are saying... What I hope that you are saying, is this: We don't need to try to seem humble, we need to daily encounter our holy God so that we will be changed by Him into genuinely humble people. We don't need to try to show people our unchanging values, we need to seek Jesus and put on the mind of Christ. We need to stay connected to Him, letting His Holy Spirit fill and even control us. Then we will live in such a way that pleases and honors Him. If people see us, they will see Jesus, not because we are trying hard to show them Him, but because they can't help but see Him...
Is that what you mean or no? I think that everyone has different understandings as to how much we need to try/how much we are or are not a part of the process of sanctification. I personally believe that only God can change us into His image, but we must let Him by yielding to Him. We must intentionally surrender to Him, an active submission...
Just my two cents. Thanks so much for sharing this. I think I like you and perhaps all of us, have struggled with being fake for all sorts of different reasons... I think that I become less and less fake as I seek to please Him and not others as you already stated. The whole "audience of One" concept really makes sense. If we are living for Him, our motives are corrected and we learn how to be who He created us to be. Only by willingly making ourselves bond-servants can we ever truly be free...
I really like how you put your comment! I agree and disagree with what you said. Humility should be genuine, especially if we pursue Christ every day but there are still many days where I don't feel like being humble but i must be because it is at the core of my identity in Christ. I think our thoughts compliment each other. Let me explain.
DeleteJust the other day I was running and when I run I can be prideful. I wanted to finish my run right down the middle of campus where all could see me, thats what I REALLY wanted to do. But I knew what I should do to counter that and that was to take the normal route where few would see me. It seems like a small thing yes but I think there are times where we really do have to pull it out of us. In that case, I would have been unauthentic to pridefully run through campus when what I really value (as a result of my relationship in Christ) is humility. Does that make sense? You are right though, in the long run, the more I pursue and grow in Christ I may not actually feel inclined to do these things.
Whatever the case, I appreciate the comment a lot. Nothing I write I claim to be absolute truth. I no doubt say things that can and should be challenged in each post. Thank you for doing that! I think we can couple our ideas together because though there are times where we don't feel good and our actions are what matter, if we pursue christ then we will grow further in our authenticity. Perhaps it is simply making the conscious decision to pursue Christ when we don't feel it.
I agree wholeheartedly though, as said, we should not imitate but rather be authentic by pursuing Christ everyday even when we don't feel like it. Values should not change easily, motivation and emotions will though.