We hear much these days about being. Your authentic self.
What does that really mean?
At first it sounds like an inspiring phrase, a call to give yourself permission to be you, the real you.
I do like the idea of being yourself, rather than trying to fit into someone else’s idea of you.
But I’ve noticed that many influencers and individuals today portray being true to themselves in a way that makes me uncomfortable. And now I understand why.
Quentin L. Cook wisely warns of the danger.
“Some misuse authenticity as a celebration of the natural man qualities that are the opposite of humility, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and civility. We can celebrate our individual uniqueness as children of God without using authenticity as an excuse for un-Christlike behavior.”
I love the understanding that individual uniqueness is something to celebrate, but that it is not something that need draw us apart.
We are all children of God, meaning we are one family.
I have six children, each unique and different from their siblings. I can appreciate those differences now, because as they’ve grown, I see how their differences contribute to the family as a whole.
Yes, learning is involved on everyone’s part trying to understand another’s different way of thinking or doing.
But after the acceptance and understanding comes the appreciation of what those differences contribute.
Kevin J. Worthin said,
“God is the author of diversity and the source of unity. As we come closer to Him and to His Son, Jesus Christ, we will advance both powerful principles in a synergistic way. As we embrace our true primary identity as children of God and act as disciples of Christ, they will magnify our individual gifts while also making us more united.”
My hope is that you celebrate all that makes you unique in a way that honors the one who created those differences in you.
Much love,
