Be True to Who?
I hear it over and over, in conversations and phrases in movies … “Be true to yourself!” I suppose such a saying ranks high up there in my book of idiotic sayings of things like “delicious salad” or “low fat ice cream”. No matter how much you spice it up, these words make no sense to me!
In Hollywood, the wise people will always tell that one who is searching for answers, “be true to yourself’.” While that seems like reasonable advice, it is really just giving permission to do whatever crazy thing that person feels like doing. Think about it, what is the true you?
If I were to be the “true me” in that moment when a crazy driver cut me off in traffic, causing me to swerve and nearly crash, the “true me” just might speed up and get close to their open window and throw my half eaten burger right at them. At that very moment, that may be the “true me”. Am I to act upon that, should I be true to that feeling?
Somehow, I feel like being true to yourself is a form of idolatry. It screams, “be your own god”, “make your own rules”, “Do whatever you want”.
We see it in society all of the time. It is one of the reasons divorce rate is the highest it has ever been; you don’t find our spouse attractive anymore – society says get a different one. Your job no longer satisfies us, society says quit and get a different one. Don’t feel like paying child support, or pay your back taxes – do what you want, be true to yourself and don’t pay!
All of this talk about being true to oneself just seems like a pretty selfish philosophy to me. I wonder what difference it could make if we changed the saying to, “Do what is right!” Doing what is right makes more sense to me than low fat ice cream! Doing the right thing is something that I could sink my teeth into, but by whose standard do we decide what the right thing is?
The world’s definition of what is right is different than God’s definition. And when it comes to right versus wrong, always follow God’s definition. Anytime anyone tries to do what is “right in their eyes”, things usually end up messy! When it comes to being true to yourself, the only way you can do that is by knowing who you are in Christ!
Look at what Christ says about “self”:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’ ” -Matthew 16:24
Jesus said that we are to DENY ourselves, not to be true to ourselves. To deny ourselves means that we will be required to give something up for someone else. When we learn to accept ourselves as Christ designed us, and follow Him, we will surely put self away and live for others.
Who are you living for today? Christ first. Others next. Yourself last.
PRAYER: Dear God, forgive me for the times that I have been selfish. Help me to put self down and pick up the cross and follow Your ways. Lead me to the cross and lead me to serve others like You did. Help me each day to remember to be true to You! AMEN
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Amen to that, Laurie. I am sometimes selfish too; I want to do things for me. But Christ is showing me that He is the lead and I am striving to follow His lead.
Ah! The rod of correction! Thank you for that, Laurie. Awesome post!