Authentic people

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   before you were born I set you apart...

(Jeremiah 1:5)

God wants us to be authentic.  There is nothing more disappointing than to see someone trying to be something they are not.  Try as they might, when what they are trying to be is not authentic, it just is not convincing.  We are uniquely made - fashioned for a specific purpose.  We have unique talents - mine do not match yours and vice versa.  Even identical twins have a unique make-up of personality, temperament, and talents.  So, why is it that we are often struggling to be something that we are not?  It is really quite simple - we have never accepted our unique make-up!

In my youth, I had the opportunity to attend a week-long seminar on learning what God intended in our creation.  One of the most important things that I grasped from all that was taught that week is the uniqueness of each human.  Not accepting that unique way we are made is really a complaint against God!  We are saying we know better than God - that he did not create us as we should have been created.  It is kind of like Adam looking God in the face and announcing that he only sinned because of the woman God made for him!

To understand the unique call (purpose) of our lives, we need to understand the make-up of our souls (our mind, will and emotions).  We often find answers where we least expect to find them - when we examine the right stuff!  It is when we stop focusing on what we see as "wrong" in our lives and begin to focus on what God sees as "possible" through our lives, we begin to get a revelation into the purpose of our make-up.  

For example, if I went through life trying to be the best used car salesperson in the world, I would fail miserably. First, I do not like sales that much.  Second, I really don't have any desire to talk people into buying above their needs.  Third, I really don't like being out in the public's face all the time!  But...when I explore how my mind works - analytical, organized, deliberate - I begin to see the possibilities God has created.  When I explore how my will is directed - focused, determined, and structured - I see even more possibilities. Add to those the way my emotions are formed - reasonable, not reactionary, balanced - I begin to get a picture of what my make-up really is.  

I begin to see that I can function well in a couple of different areas - a good leader (balanced, fair, organized); a structured teacher (analytical, organized, focused); a reliable friend.  The list could go on, but I think you might get the picture by now.  I did not have to go to a lot of classes or spend months in counseling to figure this out.  I simply asked God to show me my make-up.  Ask him to reveal how your mind functions - what is it that you seem to get the very first time someone explains it; what comes naturally for you when you first see it.  Rely upon him to show you what it is that you have a will to do, to be involved in.  But...don't forget to ask him what emotions are both your strength and your weakness.  Learning what we are strong in is important - but also learning what we have a weakness toward can keep us from many a wrong pursuit!

Authentic people please God!  Learn what it is that makes you authentic and step out in the freedom of being who you really are!