To be an authentic Christian

A few years ago, before I decided to commit my life to Jesus, one of my goals was to be accepted by everyone around me. I used to have different faces in my life, depending on the person I was interacting with, always changing my attitude to fit the situation. However, when people that belonged to different circles spent time together, I had trouble being coherent with the face each of them were accustomed to. It took a while before I changed my ways.

When I decided to follow Jesus, I did not think about changing this habit immediately. I can say that I was a Christian with Christians and someone else once I stepped out of the church and conversed with someone. No matter what I heard, or what people around me would tell me, I had yet to change that about myself.

Yet, Jesus says in Luke 12:8 - 9, that “[…] whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God”. For a long time and for a reason I cannot explain, I was conscious of my lifestyle, but I made no effort to change it.

Through my experiences with God, I realized that leading this double-life was not helpful, and could even cause me some trouble. We already talked about the importance of testifying and being a witness of God throughout our lives. Therefore, you can understand that my attitude back then and the life God wants me to live were in complete opposition to one another. When I received this revelation about myself, I decided to have one way of living, no matter where I was or who I was with. I understood that it would keep me from danger and inconsistency, for example when people from different parts of my life would meet. All the while, I allowed myself to be more Christ-like.

To be authentic, to be true, is very hard and requires a lot of effort. It took me almost three years to realize that it was a problem in my life and that my behaviour had to change. I relied on God; what happened after this decision was very striking.

Suddenly, people I met kept telling me that I was the kind of person they wanted to spend time with, who had a positive influence in their life. Month after month, the people around me began to trust me more than beforehand. Your authenticity can bring you closer to God, but also allows people to trust you. Today, my open heart allows people to trust me and to know that they will receive honest answers.

To be brief, seeking to be more like Christ, takes us on the road to becoming a more authentic Christian. That mentality and lifestyle draws in the people who need it; making them able to trust someone who they know can be honest and truthful. This is an incomparable testimony.

Wishing you a blessed week,

Do 😊