We are called to be authentic people- authentic in our relationships and true to ourselves.
“By honoring and respecting ourselves we will be true to those around us, even if we displease them.” –Melody Beattie (The Language of Letting Go)
“Even if we displease them” – and sometimes we will. We are not called to be mindless followers who simply seek to please. Where is the love in that? If all we do is what others want us to do how will anybody see who we truly are?
“This above all: To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou ‘canst not then be false to any man.”- William Shakespeare
When we can break free of the hold that others and their expectations have on us we can be more authentic people- true to who we’ve been created to be and true to our relationships. In turn our relationships can become deeper with stronger foundations built on honor and truth.
What a strange thing- that in order to achieve true friendship, true partnership, true sisterhood, brotherhood, even unity- we need to authentically be our own person!
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. – Ephesians 4:16
We all have an important part to play in a much bigger picture. Embrace and love the person God has created you to be!
May we become who God created us to be!
Amen. There’s such freedom in embracing whom God created us to be!
Love this post! So very true. There’s a wonderful piece that comes with such freedom.
So good – yes, we must be who we are in relationships for them to be true as well. =)