Authenticity

It has been way too long since we have posted anything here on Living Hope, though it is not for lack of events, ideas, or thoughts. Honestly there have been so many times in our life the past nine months where I have thought…”this would make a great blog post” or “I should write about this”. Was it life’s busy moments or priorities that stopped me from following through? Sometimes…but in all honesty it has been a bit of procrastination because of fear; fear in opening up and allowing others into the details of our life.

It is so easy to do isn’t it? To convince yourself that no one is interested in your life and allow yourself to not (TRULY) open up? In all honestly it was God who has been convicting me of this for several months now. There have been key moments in my life He has been stirring these thoughts of “authenticity”. For a while I thought to myself… “I am authentic. I am who I am and I don’t pretend to be someone else, nor do I lie, or “humor” people. I am reliable and trustworthy…” so what’s this about Lord? I began this new journey questioning things I did and the decisions I was making based on this idea of being (more) authentic.

What God has helped me realize is that you can be a great person and at the same time not be living an intentionally authentic life. It can be so easy to try to please people, to fit others’ needs or expectations. We do what we think we need to do in order to live up to other’s expectations. We try to blend in, not “make waves”, and even sometimes ignore God’s leading in our life for fear of being outcast or ((gasp)) different! We don’t necessarily do this on purpose but maybe we are not confident and do not believe that there is anything unique or special about us. So how do we be more authentic? What if we all tried each day to see ourselves the way God sees us?

1 John 3:1 (NIV)

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Luke 12:5-9 (NKJV)

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?

And not one of them is forgotten before God.

7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Each one of us is a child of God, for He loves us so much even the hairs on our head are numbered! Can you imagine numbering the hairs on your child (no, seriously)? Talk about love! We need to take time to see ourselves through God’s loving eyes with our beauty, our strengths, our potential, and all of the possibilities for us in this life. If we could see ourselves through God’s eyes and claim what He has for us and how He sees us we can live life with more hope, and less fear…thus making it easier to be authentic.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God knows and sees when we are not being real (authentic). Not being real or authentic could be different things for different people but what it all comes down to is this:

Are you showing/being your true self (who God made you to be!)
in every sense of the word?

I have prayed long and often that God would guide me and give me clarity and an open heart to what He has been trying to teach me. The past few months I have had some situations (some of which you may hear of in future posts) that have helped me question, and confirm what God has for me and who He wants me to be in every situation in my life.

What God has helped me to understand is that even when I am faced with rejection and/or opposition I can stand firm in knowing that when I allow Him to direct my paths I can have the peace of knowing He will take care of those situations that are beyond my understanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

And so the list of my personal authenticity begins….

                                                                  1. Follow Him!

                                                                  2. Live with LOVE! - - - > Blog post soon!

                                                                  3. Transparency! - - - > Blog post here!

Jesus wore his heart on his sleeve. It did not take long to figure out what was on his mind and in his heart. What about you? Will others have to wade through your false layers to find out who you (truly) are? Or, from their first encounter with you will they know they have met one of God’s best?

Remember....You are beautiful! .......