Raise your hand if you’ve ever frantically cleaned the house before friends drop by so they don’t think you’re a “complete slob” (*hand raised*).  Or maybe you’ve joined a book club (or other group) to appear well-rounded even though you don’t even like reading.  Have you ever said “I’ll pray for you” hoping people will  think you’re a good Christian?    What about getting really down on yourself because you’re not like your mom, spouse, or friend?  Have you ever wanted to reveal your true personality, but were scared you’d just come across as weird?  Do you ever hide your quirks, true thoughts, shortcomings, and problems to prevent others from thinking less of you?  I’d venture to say that  most of us do at times.  We do our best to be who we’re -not- to meet the spoken & unspoken expectations of others. Adults even impose appearances & lifestyles on our kids so our parenting looks top-notch.  Keeping up appearances is straight-up exhausting, isn’t it?  It’s also inauthentic. It’s as if we’re stuck in a perpetual childhood game of make-believe! I recently shared with a friend that even at 35 years old, I can still struggle with, “Do people really like me as I am?” and “Why do I feel so different?” I believe so many of us long to stop pretending and to just be exactly who God made us to be.  There’s a deep desire we have to risk appearances and live true, authentic lives in community with others.  Do you know why? It’s because God created us the way he did for a reason.  We are NOT manufacturer defects, no matter how we feel. And even though God is changing & sanctifying believers daily, He is calling us to live real, authentic lives, just as he made us.  So because I know I’m not alone in this struggle, I thought I’d encourage us to drop the pretenses and share 3 simple ways to live more authentically, just as God made you.

Way #1:  Know and Embrace Your Design.   I said it was “simple”, I didn’t say it was easy! Did you know there are approximately 7.4 billion people in this world and not ONE is created exactly the same?  That’s not an accident and its certainly not just for variety.  There’s a reason you’re not like your sister, cousin, or BFF. From fingerprints to personalities to strengths, weaknesses, talents, natural gifts, spiritual gifts (for believers) and much more, you were created uniquely for very specific purposes.  One way to truly live authentically is to know and embrace exactly how God made you.  To be open (even excited) about your talents & gifts is to be authentic, just as it is to be honest and accepting about how he HASN’T gifted you.  I’ve struggled in the past with noticing a friend or family member’s natural gifts and mistakenly thought I was lacking because their gift was downright difficult for me.  There must be something wrong with me, I’d think. I decided to take a spiritual gift assessment and realized I was just gifted differently. Psalm 139 says God “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” He  “knit” me with this personality!  It also says in Romans 12 that we are one body with many members and each of those members has different functions.  Its not as if each part of the body just keeps things interesting.   Each member has purpose.  YOU have purpose.  The truth is, the world NEEDS me and you to be exactly who we are and to stop fighting against our God-given natural design.  That doesn’t mean there’s no room for us to grow or that we give in to every sinful inclination that feels natural, but here’s what you need for authenticity, friend: don’t waste your time trying to be who you’re not.  The world needs who you already are.  Easy? Not always.  Simple? Yes, because if you think about, trying to be who you’re not is actually complicating things. Being who you are  simplifies it and brings Him glory.  Not only that, but living inauthentically focuses on self and how we can appear to others.  Living authentically focuses on others and how we can best serve them just as we are.  Which naturally leads to our next way to live more authentically.

Way #2: Use How God Made You.  You’ve embraced that God made you purposefully.  Now it’s time to figure out how to use it effectively.  Only by using how God made you can you truly live an authentic life.  You’re not a square peg trying to fit into a round hole anymore.  You’re YOU and now you’re seeking out how to be most effective just as you are.  Living authentically in this area is less about quitting your job (although I believe that God can call us out of one vocation and into another) and more about figuring out how to use your gifts, talents, and personality most effectively wherever God presently has you.  Are you naturally organized?  Use it to help a single mom organize her home.  Do you have a gift for hospitality?  Invite a new neighbor over for coffee, messy house and all.  Are you creative?  Offer your talent to help at church or in an organization.  It’s freeing to embrace who you are in God and being confident that he will use his design in you!  Not only will He use you as you embrace who you are, but He will grow you as you accept who you are not and what you struggle with.   Authenticity is about being real in who you are, who you aren’t, in mountaintop moments and in valleys. Its about sharing when life is great and not-so-great, because God uses that, too.  And, consequently, when you are living more authentically in life and purpose, people see that, gravitate towards that, and they, too, desire to be authentic. It’s a ripple effect!  Your personal authenticity leads to the exponential authenticity of others!  That means more people being who they truly are, fulfilling more of what they’re designed to do, in effect leading to even more people living authentically, and so on.  All from your choice to be authentically you and to live it out.  *Mind blown*, right?  And if we are able to embrace who God has made US, naturally, we can live more authentically if we….

Way #3: Embrace How God Made Others.  When was the last time you heard someone say, “She is SO real and authentic.  Yeah, she thinks she’s better than everyone, but she’s the real deal!”  Yeah, I can pretty much guarantee nobody’s ever said THAT in the history of the world.  See, some of us have the opposite problem in that we’ve -so- embraced who God made US to be, that we struggle to see how God will use those who are designed very different from us.  We think, act, respond, and do life in a certain way and can fall into the trap of thinking that we’re the most effective type of person ever made!  The pinnacle of God’s design we are! The 5.0 prototype!  If only others would get on the program!  All joking aside, God often uses opposites of us to draw us closer to him and make us more effective & authentic. I certainly don’t want to miss out on that, do you?  I am NOT a calm, quiet person by nature and when I accept that about myself and even am open about it, who knows!  Maybe I can encourage someone who feels the need to keep all her wonderful, deep insights to herself. Maybe she’ll minister to me in teaching me how to listen more.   I have a friend who keeps a very tidy house and although at first I felt inferior to her, now I view who SHE is (in her authentic orderliness), as someone who is diligent and takes care of her blessings well.  That is something I can admire and appreciate, though I will never be her!  She doesn’t need to apologize for being tidy just as I don’t need to apologize for being less organized.  We’re authentically ourselves to each other and accept the other.  To clarify, its not “I tolerate you on the surface”.  It’s truly embracing how God made us different and believing what He has made is best.  It’s also not “I accept your sin.”  Psalm 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”.  Its a beautiful thing when God does that through two very different people!  That’s authenticity–truly accepting how God has made others as you’ve accepted how He’s made you.  Its a true joy to be accepted as we are and to realize that our differences work together beautifully for God’s Kingdom.

God’s creativity is so apparent in this world and its time to recognize that aspect of Him by being authentic and accepting who others are as well.  If you’re not living authentically, it’s time to humble yourself, let go of fear, drop your guard a bit and start trusting God’s design.  Start today with these 3 steps and be a part of that ripple effect of authenticity!  Let’s ask God to help us be the “real deal” together for maximum impact.

Have you embraced who God has designed you to be?  Have you used his design in you to be effective and purposeful?  Have you embraced how he has created others to be?  Comment below!