A Life of Authenticity

Written by John Grant

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

The world is full of people pretending to be someone they are not. Such people are not living a life of authenticity, a term used to describe the degree to which one is true to their own personality, spirit or character, despite external pressures.

Living a life of authenticity is not easy especially for Christians who are confronted with a pagan world and encountering external pressures and influences, which are often very different from our Christian beliefs.

You are capable of living authentically. You have the ability within yourself to stay committed to your core belief system, but it often is not easy. Your core values must be higher than your desire for social acceptance. You have the power to live courageously. You had the wisdom to live peacefully. You have the discernment to choose properly.

Stained and Ruined

Melissa Taylor

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

Devotion:
Looking back, it seems like I'm viewing the story of another person. I hardly recognize the little girl I became in that dark moment.

I was walking home from the bus stop. The walk took about ten minutes unless I stopped to talk to a friend or neighbor, which I usually did. Mr. Parks, a retired man, was sitting in his driveway waving to all the kids walking by. He was so friendly. On this particular day, he invited me into his garage. He said he had some candy to give me.

I walked in that garage an innocent trusting little girl. I walked out scarred for life.

Face Your Faults with Courage

by Rick Warren

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” (1 John 1:8 NLT)

Many of us wear masks of some sort. We don’t want anyone to see the real us; we don’t want anyone to see our faults. Often, we try to cover up our faults and mistakes in one of two ways:

·         We blame others. Adam did this after he ate from the tree. He blamed Eve (who blamed the snake). We’ve been blaming others ever since. We don’t want to admit our faults, so we turn the attention to someone else. We just want to get the focus off of us.

·         We also make excuses. We pretend nothing is wrong. Life is going great. We’ve got it all together. Unfortunately, pretending doesn’t work. The Bible says in I John 1:8, " If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth" (NLT).

You have to face your faults to be freed from them. Face it head on, and own it: “I did it. I’ve been arrogant in how I’ve treated people. I haven’t been a good father or a good husband. I’ve been a poor leader.” It’s time you just said it.

Don’t use the word but at the end of the confession. Don’t say, “It’s not a big deal.” Don’t try to tell people it’s really a strength. Just admit it, and be free.

Finding Healing After Divorce

Living the Dream 

“You’re supposed to have Pine Sol here. Is that so hard?” Running a home seemed like a piece of cake. After all, many young girls dreamed of just that: a perfect husband, loving children, and a peaceful home to run — a happy every after fairy tale. 

You are God’s Masterpiece

by LEWIS

You are God’s masterpiece, a work of his own hands.

No one else has a vote on who you are. You’re free to be you instead of imitating someone else. You’re free to use your unique, God-given gifts, and there’s no need to compare your gifts to the gifts of others.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them —yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. – 1 Corinthians 15:10