"Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No"; anything more than this comes from evil." Jesus
One word that I have found myself using more and more recently is the word authentic. To be authentic is to be original and real, but it also carries a sense that relates to integrity. If you are authentic, you aren't hiding something, or after some kind of secret agenda. I've been amazed how often I can say something to someone, and you can just tell that they are trying to figure out what I really am trying to get at rather than to trust that I actually meant what I said.
We're all used to looking for hidden messages in what people say. After all, it's not all that often that people actually say what they mean, or mean what they say. And yet, as I look at these words from Jesus that I quoted above, it would seem that Jesus has no place for hidden meanings.
Jesus was, and is, truly authentic. He is original, as He existed as God from before the creation of the world. But Jesus is also authentic in that He meant what He said, and didn't try to imply other things, or have other agendas. To a woman who wasn't an Israelite, He made the claim quite clearly: I came only for the lost sheep of Israel. And then, when she made an awesome statement that showed her faith in Him, He responded with equal forthrightness: Your faith has healed your daughter. When confronted by His opponents (who often tried to say one thing, yet mean another), Jesus used the cold truth, which often stopped them in their tracks.
I really do believe that there is a part of us that wants someone in our life who will simply "tell it like it is". We want someone to let us know where others see the fake faces that we put on for others, or the ways that we may say one thing, but really want something else. Yes, we are very frightened of this, since it reveals our sin and faults and shortcomings, and yet, I really do think that almost all of us would want someone to point these out to us, so that we can make appropriate changes, rather than allow us to keep fooling ourselves (and haven't you noticed that most people can tell when you aren't being authentic with them?).
One last thought on this: the natural thing to do when we catch someone being inauthentic is to make them regret it. And yet, one thing that God makes clear throughout the Bible is that this type of correction is best made from a standpoint of loving the other person, not getting even with them, or lashing out in anger. I know that I, personally, would be much more receptive to a person who pointed out a fault, but showed that they wanted it addressed because they cared about me, rather than pointing it out as if to demean me and make themselves feel better. That, also, is part of being authentic.
One word that I have found myself using more and more recently is the word authentic. To be authentic is to be original and real, but it also carries a sense that relates to integrity. If you are authentic, you aren't hiding something, or after some kind of secret agenda. I've been amazed how often I can say something to someone, and you can just tell that they are trying to figure out what I really am trying to get at rather than to trust that I actually meant what I said.
We're all used to looking for hidden messages in what people say. After all, it's not all that often that people actually say what they mean, or mean what they say. And yet, as I look at these words from Jesus that I quoted above, it would seem that Jesus has no place for hidden meanings.
Jesus was, and is, truly authentic. He is original, as He existed as God from before the creation of the world. But Jesus is also authentic in that He meant what He said, and didn't try to imply other things, or have other agendas. To a woman who wasn't an Israelite, He made the claim quite clearly: I came only for the lost sheep of Israel. And then, when she made an awesome statement that showed her faith in Him, He responded with equal forthrightness: Your faith has healed your daughter. When confronted by His opponents (who often tried to say one thing, yet mean another), Jesus used the cold truth, which often stopped them in their tracks.
I really do believe that there is a part of us that wants someone in our life who will simply "tell it like it is". We want someone to let us know where others see the fake faces that we put on for others, or the ways that we may say one thing, but really want something else. Yes, we are very frightened of this, since it reveals our sin and faults and shortcomings, and yet, I really do think that almost all of us would want someone to point these out to us, so that we can make appropriate changes, rather than allow us to keep fooling ourselves (and haven't you noticed that most people can tell when you aren't being authentic with them?).
One last thought on this: the natural thing to do when we catch someone being inauthentic is to make them regret it. And yet, one thing that God makes clear throughout the Bible is that this type of correction is best made from a standpoint of loving the other person, not getting even with them, or lashing out in anger. I know that I, personally, would be much more receptive to a person who pointed out a fault, but showed that they wanted it addressed because they cared about me, rather than pointing it out as if to demean me and make themselves feel better. That, also, is part of being authentic.
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