Why the World Needs You to be Authentic: Your Story Matters

Our dictionaries will tell us that authentic means “not false or copied”; genuine, real, or something fairly similar to that.

 

In regards to people, authentic isn’t just an adjective.  You can see it, feel it even.  There are no masks, no pretense.  They are content enough to be themselves.  And confident enough to let you in.

I’ve never followed celebrities much, but occasionally one will come along that I really like.  A few years back I figured out the common link behind the celebrities I like; I like them because I would want to have them over for dinner.

That’s it.  My only qualifying factor of celebrity likability.

Not exactly an insightful standard of measurement at face value, but I think it works.  I like celebrities who seem down to earth, the ones who don’t appear to take themselves too seriously.  They seem genuine, authentic.

Granted, judging celebrities is probably a) a worthless proposition because my exposure to them is so limited and I’m casting judgment in very limited perspective and b) a complete waste of time because likable or not, none of these people are coming over to my house for dinner.

 

But I think the concept of authenticity matters.  It is fascinating, in the broader sense of celebrity stalking and, more importantly, in our smaller circles.  The real world.

 

 

 

Each day we all have a choice as to how we are going to live our lives, present ourselves to the world.

Will we put on a fake, pasted smile, again?  Will we always answer “doing good” when we feel dried up and empty inside?

 

 To what lengths will we push our children, our spouse

just so we can appear to have it all together?  

 

It’s the striving after what we are not, the pretense, the putting on of a different life instead of wearing well the one we’ve been given, that makes it messy.

I’ve seen it often.  I’m guessing you have to?

The mom who is in hiding.  She checks the boxes of having it all together, on the outside.  But the tension just behind that smile shows.  It leaks through.

Or there is the mom who you don’t see.  She doesn’t show up because she refuses to play the part.  She knows she is not enough, that she can’t keep up so she refuses to enter the ring.

Putting on masks is safe, but exhausting.  It’s cramped and stifling.

Not showing up is lonely and deceiving.

Either way, we are believing a lie.  A lie that the woman who you were created to be is not enough.  A lie that you must be something else, something more, to be of value.

The truth is, you, your world, the whole world,

will benefit most when you bravely choose an authentic life.

 

No one else has been given the story that God gave you.  No one has walked the path, the trials, the joys that have been bestowed upon you.  And on every one of those paths, through each one of those trials, and amidst each joy we experience, we have the choice whether or not to be authentic.

We get to choose whether or not we want to let people into our lives, share our journey with them or if we want to stifle and guard it, hide.

Can I admit vulnerability is not my favorite topic?  I’m a bit of a private person.  I’d much rather slap on a smile (mask?) and charge on than let people in.

But I’m learning.  God is teaching me that my story, it’s not all about me.  I am a small part of a much bigger story, His story.  My story?  It’s not even mine, really.  And neither is yours.

We are all part of a story much bigger than us.

And in this, I’m reminded of the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25.  The story where the master gives his three servants a varying number of talents and they spend them differently.  The first two servants trade or invest theirs and double their investment.  But the third, given only a single talent, digs a hole and buries it.  He hides it.  The Bible tells us he was afraid so he hid it.

 

He was afraid, so he hid it.

Do you see the parallel?

It takes bravery to spend our lives well.  To choose authenticity.  To own what God has given us.  It takes courage not to put on a mask or hide from the world.  But to let our one unique story be used by Him.

 

Authenticity breaks down barriers, it builds relationship.

Authenticity facilitates growth, affords freedom.

Authenticity glorifies God.

 

A couple of weeks ago I got to see a woman I know stand up in front of church and tell about her life.  This woman, long a believer and holding a job quite visible in our community, told of how two years ago her marriage was broken.  She stood at the pulpit and told of the selfish lies she slowly believed and of her plans for an exit strategy.  Where she would move, when she would resign, how she would take her life back.

But in a last ditch effort she and her husband chose to go to counseling.  It’s humbling and I would think a bit scary to do these things in a small town, but they did.  And it worked.  And together they bravely fought for their marriage.  And won.

I loved her story.  But do you know what I loved even more?  That she told it.  That she swallowed her pride, fought her fear and bravely chose to let God be glorified through her life.  Even the hard parts.

Might I encourage you to think about how you can do the same?  It certainly doesn’t have to be in front of a pulpit. Think about it. If your story, and you do have one, we all have one, helped just one person, it’s impact just increased 100%.

I’ll go first. In a couple of weeks I’ll share one of the tougher parts of my story. Me, who doesn’t love being vulnerable. I’ll share my story, His story, with you.

In the meantime, think about how you might be brave enough to choose an authentic life.  How might you allow your story to be used by Him?