The Power Of Living Authentically
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 –
‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’
As a Christian, it sometimes feels like people assume your life is perfect! To us, it seems obvious that this is far from the truth, but often, we fail to share our own weakness and hardships. It’s so easy to create a persona of strength in the midst of testing times and to want to look completely ‘put together’ when we face difficult seasons of life, pushing all of our struggles into the shadows. Yet, I wouldn't say this is particularly authentic, would you?
Living authentically can seem daunting. Why? Because it takes great courage! However, as followers of Jesus we can be confident in our true, authentic selves! Even though we are weak, face hardships and get things wrong, we have an identity that is rooted in who Jesus is - He is at the centre of what it means to be our ‘true selves’.
God’s grace allows us to live in the truth that we are children of God, loved immeasurably, and given access to infinite amounts of hope, joy and peace in the midst of our brokenness. Because we know a God who is eternally good, who forgives us, renews us, whose power is made perfect in weakness, we don’t have to hide ourselves!
To live authentically we need to bring all of who we are to light; we even need to delight in our weakness because it can become a powerful witness as we share the good news of a God who is willing to step into our messy lives and bring everything that he encompasses with him.
When we acknowledge to others who we were without Jesus and the transformation he has brought to our lives, then our witness to his sacrifice on the cross becomes more powerful.
Prayer – Thank you God that you make me strong in my weakness. Help me live authentically and share vulnerably about my own shortcomings. Let this be a testament to your grace and mercy over my life!