Are you your authentic self?

Posted by Timothy

September 8, 2009

On the last section of our program, we devote ten lessons on the ’soul’ which always prompts some questions, such as, “What is the soul?”

We open it with Mark 8 31-38 which can be boilied down to: “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul.”

Granted, there’s a lot in that passage, but the core is very consistent with what a “hundredfold” life is. In fact, it is a cautionary tale of taking on the trapping, thoughts, behaviors and values of the world at the expense of letting Jesus lead and shape us.

This is very counter-cultural. By its very definition, I believe that it takes constant vigilance and, in fact, radical tuning to stay on track.

The Message translation says, “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?”

The “authentic self” is one that isn’t driven by fears created in the world but one that can trust in the intimacy and the purposes of God. Think about it: aren’t there times we think, “I don’t know the real me” when we are in certain situations, maybe stressed or in scarcity mode?

The power of this lesson is that people who turn to God and say, “I am turning to You when finding my true self, finding my authentic self” may need to turn away from what they perceive to be the foundations of their “life.”

One of those is freedom from suffering. Again, I don’t believe we are destined to have to have day-in and day-out of suffering. I don’t see Scripture supporting that (whereas other religions do). It takes work, prayer, exercises, and a program to beat back all the craziness in our lives.

The benefits of having an authentic self go back to what Jesus says will be hundredfolded: relationships and resources. But we need to not let them rule our lives but to take to heart what Jesus says in this passage: “You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.”

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