The Value Of Being Authentic
Are You The Real McCoy?
I believe that there is great value in being authentic. People speak of the “real McCoy’ or of the “real deal” or gush over “an original” as having an intrinsic value simply because it is genuine. It is better to be one hundred percent yourself in God than to pretend to be someone else. This, of course, is easier said than done because church leadership insists you fit their version of who God is. However, I think that when we fit into someone else’s mold we lose some or a lot of what makes us unique and special before God and man.
Normative Christianity desires to bring unity, not through the Spirit, but through the top down force of their doctrinal statements of faith. There is little room for individualism when it comes to their theological framework. Indeed, in some denominations, you must agree to believe a certain set of doctrines to even fellowship with them. If you disagree with the clergy’s “core beliefs” you are politely or “not” so politely asked to fellowship elsewhere. To many, such coercion is very difficult to resist. We all want to be part of something and even if we give up what makes us authentic we often times do so in order to gain acceptance and “fit in”.
Being unique is a very good thing
I believe that God champions our uniqueness and wants us to become who we really are in Him. He desires to reveal Himself through us authentically. People respect what is real and value it simply because at least in religious circles, there is so little of it. If you dare to be different, to be what God leads you to be, then the impact of your faith will be multiplied and reinforced by the integrity of who you are. People may not understand you or know what to do with you, but they will respect you for having the audacity to be yourself.
Many Christian leaders talk a lot about submission and following their particular brand of theology. However, where is the talk about submitting to God Himself? Are we not supposed to be led by the Holy Spirit and to submit to the very God who called us unto so great a salvation? Does submitting to God really mean submitting to men?
Why listen to them if they don’t listen to God?
Obedience to your church elders presupposes that they are obedient to God. If they are, submitting to the Holy Spirit in them is proper up to a point. Church authority is not intended to be a cart blanch license to control what God does with you. You stand before God and He must always remain the supreme authority in your life.
Personally, I believe that God’s sheep hear His voice and another’s they will not follow. Consequently, if I hear my Father’s voice when someone is speaking I will listen. Their position does not matter, because God’s sheep only recognize His voice. Conversely, when I don’t hear my Father’s voice, I don’t care what they have to say. This is where being authentic comes in to play. If we are true to how God made us, then being authentic regardless of what others think is God’s will. People hear what we are more than what we say.
Be authentic in God
Lastly, be who you are in God and resist the temptation to be someone else to please anyone else. Do not fear those who spout scripture with pompous arrogance, but rather simply be the Christian the Lord wants you to be according to the faith that is in you. Real people are looking for authenticity. If you want to have a lasting impact on others for Christ and others just be yourself.
Suggested music “Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green
Suggested book “Hudson Taylor (Men of Faith) by J. Hudson Taylor