Be Yourself

I don’t know how many times I get on one of the social networks and either see or read about some person who is trying to be someone else. They obviously have no idea who they are and they for sure do not know who they are in Christ. We need to learn how to be ourselves. God made us unique and He made us for a specific purpose and there is no way we can fulfill that purpose if we are always trying to be who we are not.

The bible says in Psalms 139:14, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It also says in Genesis that we were created in His image, so who are we to try to change that? We are who we are and nothing can change that. We can try and maybe for a short time succeed but the true us always comes out. God made us to be unique and He has given us a path for our lives and if we will only trust in Him we will see the big picture.

In my life, I had no plans in any way of ever becoming a pastor, but like I said God has different plans for our lives and when we come to Him and listen to Him those plans come to fruition. It wasn’t until I surrendered my life to Christ that one day a voice spoke to me and told me what to do. Coming from a life of drugs I was sure I was having flashbacks and the old voices had returned. I did the right thing, I went to my wife and told her what had happened and she advised me of what to do next, go to our pastor for his input. I did and what do you know, I became a pastor about two and a half years later. I did it my way but my way was not the right way and I was not being myself so God’s plans finally came to be and I became myself and not someone else.

You might say that people will not accept me for who I am and I have to put on a front in order to get them to even notice me. Wrong! If people cannot accept you for who you are then maybe you are seeking out the wrong people. Those who you have to try to impress will eventually turn on you someday anyway and then where are you? Being yourself will give you those people who are honest and have a true desire to be in your life. I spent many years thinking that if I do this or if I do that people will like me but they only turned on me and left me out in the cold searching again. It was only when Jesus came into my life that I finally realized that by being myself was what most people were seeking in me anyway. The same goes for you; those around you are only looking for the real you and not a fake. You will be more honest with yourself when you are yourself and not someone else.

Live by the Golden Rule or by my interpretation of that rule, treat others the way you want to be treated. If you are looking for attention, give attention. If you are looking for acceptance then accept others. Be yourself, and others will accept you. God made you unique so be unique.