Being Authentic

Everyone is talking about Rachel Dolezal. I'm not going to criticize her. I am feeling a little bit critical of people who so strongly supported Bruce Jenner in his quest of becoming 'Caitlyn' only to turn around and rage on Miss Dolezal.

I feel deeply for both Jenner and Dolezal because I can relate to their struggles. Let me make a few straight-on statements to explain my viewpoint:

• Being authentic means, in my opinion, to be not only who you are, but who God meant you to be. 
• Being authentic isn't always easy.
• Fitting into what you want yourself to be is much easier than becoming comfortable with who you are.

By the way, my pastor recently said something about exchanging criticism of others for trying to understand why they might behave the way they do. That resonated with me because I have tended to be highly critical of people. If they were doing something I would not do, I judged them in ways that I'm thankful God will never judge me.

As far as being able to relate with Dolezal, Jenner, and anyone else going through certain struggles, keep in mind that this is my viewpoint.

I can relate to anyone who would like to pretend to be what seems to makes them happy. The problem with pretense is that it wears on the soul.

Some people are fun to be around or smart or just naturally charismatic. There are people who others see as nurturing and wise or financially savvy or witty and trendy. We'd all like to have these qualities.

Certain qualities and personality styles are popular and enviable. By our human nature, none of us wants to be unpopular. Everyone wants love, affection, respect, admiration and acknowledgement. The struggle is that some of us don't possess qualities that are currently popular.

I'm not a naturally social and outgoing type of person. For years, I struggled to pretend to be gregarious around co-workers. The only place I could be my authentic self was at home.

The gregarious me was well-liked and popular at work. The authentic me was accepted at home, but there was the cost of being seen as slightly eccentric.

Now that I have become a practicing Christian, I find myself even less popular. Attempting to live a live of faith is not a popular or enviable position to be in. These days, it's just about the most intolerable state of living.

If I wanted to be more loved and accepted, if I wanted more people in my life, I could change the way I am. What I have come to realize that the only changes I need in my life are the one God provides.

The biggest hurdle to living life is to be not who you want to be - or who other people would like you to be - but who you were made to be.

I gave my heart to Christ a long time ago, but I only recently gave my daily life to him. This is where my real struggle has begun. If I found it hard to be what I wanted to be, I am learning that the real test is to be what God wants me to be.

So, I look at anyone struggling to find who they really are - who they were made to be be - and all I can do is pray for them. I pray the same prayer for them as I pray for myself, that I am able to be authentic to who and what God made me to be.

Peace
--Free