In a time of innovation and technology, perhaps one of our greatest struggles is being authentic. The tendency to try to imitate is innate, considering we are called (Biblically) to imitate Christ… and yet, we often get derailed and imitate those around us, instead.
Regardless of whether or not you are a Christian, it is likely that you – like most of us – struggle to be authentic. And yet, how can one be authentic AND imitate Christ? Don’t those two ideas contradict each other?
Not necessarily.
Can You Be Authentic AND Imitate Christ?
If you look at the book that we Christians use as a guide, the Bible clearly demonstrates that each (human) writer shows a bit of personality with their writings.
Specifically, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) all tell the same story, but from the author’s perspective of what was a relevant detail. For instance, Luke was a physician and detail oriented.
To illustrate this point, Luke starts the Gospel of Luke with the birth of John the Baptist (the forerunner for Jesus) while the Gospel of Mark (still telling people about Jesus, just from Mark’s perspective) begins with John the Baptist in the wilderness rather than the birth of John the Baptist.
The gospels tell the same overall story, but with different emphasis on different parts of the story, or with some writers leaving out details that others include.
Each gospel writer was authentic to themselves, and yet they wrote – through the divine inspiration of God – the book we now know as the Bible! That seems like a prime example of the fact that we can be authentic AND still be imitators of Christ.
What Does that Look Like for Us?
Okay, but the Bible is already written. What does that mean for me as a Christian?
Or, to phrase the question more clearly… we are NOT setting out to change or alter the Bible in any way (aka we are not gospel writers)… so how can we be authentic as Christians while still imitating Jesus?
For help tackling this tough question, I reached out to the pastor of my church… and his response led me to believe that perhaps, I’m ignoring an important question in this whole process…
Looking for more Biblical support on other topics? Tackling A Christian Perspective on Mom Guilt wasn’t easy, but it does offer a message of mercy and grace – with a healthy dose of honesty and truth, too!
How is “Authentic” Being Defined Here?
For the purposes of this article (and our understanding), “authentic” here is defined as being true to one’s personality or self, otherwise known as being “real”.
With that clarified, my pastor helpfully responded to the question of how one can be authentic and still follow Christ with a big emphasis on not being hypocritical… but he added something else that is also important.
He stated that the way an unbeliever sees authenticity versus the way a Christian sees authenticity is different. An unbeliever expects that things will remain the way they are, with “no expectation of change”. A Christian, on the other hand – always (trying to be) “moving toward Christlikeness” will grow and change in as they make progress in that pursuit.
So not only will authenticity look different for a Christian, it’s making the decision to “walk the walk if you are gonna talk the talk” (quote from a lady in my book study group at church).
No, we won’t be perfect. We will mess up, and fall short. But working towards Christlikeness is being authentic to our faith and ourselves, as Christians.
Do you find yourself easily derailed on the path to Christlikeness? What helps you stay on the straight and narrow? Let us know in the comments below.
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
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