So be content with who you are and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. 1 Peter 5:6 (MSG)

For some reason, many of us feel that we should be more than what we are. We puff ourselves up trying to appear more successful, more together, more important… We have this idea that our own selves stripped bare of airs and graces would be too shameful for others to see. So at the same time as puffing ourselves up, we hide other things away… put on masks, fake it till we make it, and embellish stories and statistics and numbers to cover up the lack we feel we are. To hide our fear of so many things – insignificance, failure, humiliation, rejection, disappointment… the list is endless.

I’ve been reading Brené Brown's book “The Power of Vulnerability” and it is changing my life in a profound way. She says,

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

For much of my life, I’ve put on airs and graces, told stories, said and done certain things, and covered more up to try and win my self-worth and belonging. It was such an act to keep up with – tiring and soul destroying. I thought it would wear off by adulthood… but it didn’t. As you get older, it becomes more of a craft to hide things away. And there becomes more we feel we need to hide. Whether it be habits, fears, hopes, dreams, skills… negative and positive emotions… being untrue to yourself and to others is always detrimental to your heart and soul. And in the long run it robs you and others of the joy of your true self.

We crave authenticity but struggle with truth and genuineness. It’s a complicated and tricky exchange. There are all sorts of pressures and circumstances that challenge our willingness to show up and let our true selves be seen. “What will they think?”, “You may jeopardise that opportunity”, “Your ideas are stupid!”, “Your gift is not valued!”, “They’re not worth your time”, “You can’t make a difference!”, “You’re too old”, “You’re too young”, “You’re too poor”, “You don’t know the right people”, “You don’t need anybody…”

The voices that challenge our true selves are bold, audacious and are driven by pride. This pride expresses itself up to arrogance, and down to self-loathing. Both cups spill out onto those around us, ensuring that who we really are is kept hidden and secret. It leaves us with the shadow of “fitting in,” but never really basking in the full sun of belonging.

Brené Brown goes on to say,

“True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”

Humility is the gateway to authenticity. The humble and vulnerable are not weak; they are not walkovers. They are people who show up, who say “This is it, this is me, imperfect, flawed, but loved and willing to love.” It’s being in agreement with God and what his love says about you. Surrender the idea that you are not enough; that if you had the right job or the right partner, could say the right words, impress the right people, have more money, or a better house and more, you would find belonging in the world. Lay that idea on the altar of grace and stand up as your true self, warts and all, beauty and all, and face your life with authenticity.

Be content with who you are. Make peace with it. God loves you, he has called you and he believes in you. This moment right now is not all moments, it is one moment in a lifetime made up of millions. You will continue to grow and learn and mature and experience seasons of deeper joy and devastating heartache. But face it all in truth, with humility, knowing that you are loved just as you are and that your love is enough to change at least one other life. There may not be a more courageous thing you could ever do.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – EE Cummings.

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