DON’T BE AUTHENTIC

I was recently encouraged by a great message from Dr. Swanson of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando in which he encouraged his listeners to be more than ‘authentic’ human beings. Being authentic is not a bad thing.  Who doesn’t value individuals that have reached the place where what you see is what you get; who’s talk matches their walk?  But if we stop at just being authentic, then the most we can be is the best version of ourselves. For some of us, that ain’t so good!  What if who we are now, could be transformed into someone who goes beyond being authentic and becomes even more faithful, true to the Word, encouraging, wise, loving, giving, honest, courageous, loyal, forgiving, and trustworthy? If you’re willing to engage in the process of transformation, beware; getting there can be daunting.  This kind of change requires great commitment and fortitude.  It is a hard road fraught with pitfalls and pain as we come face-to-face with our weaknesses and flaws, have to take responsibility for our shortcomings, put aside our egos, humbly acknowledge to others our frailties; and, while doing all of that, continue to love ourselves and others.  To add insult to injury, the journey will not end on this side of heaven!  But the results during our earthly stay just may be tremendous and not just for us, but for those we love, our communities and beyond.  Our God is a big God and desires to transform us in such a way that he can use us to make an impact on a very broken world.  What do we see when we look into the mirror? Can we envision more than just an authentic reflection but instead a transformed, albeit imperfect human being, that has become an even greater agent of change, healer, servant-leader and more? Mirror, mirror on the wall . . .