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Lim Han Soon• Timely Word •

Am I Being Authentic To Myself?

By 24 September 2021No Comments

At YCK Chapel, we encourage our members to be authentic believers. We do not need to wear masks in the Church. We all have and struggle with our bad habits, faults and weaknesses. As Christians, we are all still work-in-progress. God knows us very well and He, like a potter, is moulding and shaping us to be more and more like Jesus every day.

As I think of authenticity, another aspect of authenticity comes to mind: “Am I being authentic [truthful] to myself?” Or to put it in another way: “Am I kidding or lying to myself?” Here some ways I can lie to myself:

LiesTruth in God’s Word
“It is alright to say or think of it as long as I do not do it.”In God’s eyes, if I am angry with someone and degrade him, I have already committed murder in my heart. Or if I look at a woman lustfully, I have already committed adultery in my heart. [Matthew 5:22, 28]
“I am born with it and I can’t do anything about it. I can’t help but to indulge in it.”I can do something about it. With God’s help I can overcome it or control it. [Philippians 4:13]
“It’s only a small sin, it’s not as bad as committing a big sin.”Sin is evil in God’s eyes – small or big. There may be different degrees of guilt but still, a sin is a sin. If I break just one commandment, I am guilty of all. [James 2:10]
Many Christians do it, so it must be alright to do it.”I am to follow Jesus, my Lord, and not men, who could be wrong in their judgement. [Psalm 118:8; Proverbs 21:2; Romans 3:23-24]
“I need to be pragmatic in this world. So it’s alright to compromise.”“I am in the world but not of the world.” I should not follow the pattern of this world. [John 17:15-16; Romans 12:1-2]
“My sin is harmless, so it’s alright.”No sin is harmless. My sin affects my relationship with God and it grieves Him. [1 John 3:4; Ephesians 4:29-32]
“My purpose of becoming a Christian is to go to heaven. So, once that is assured, I don’t have to do anything else. I can continue to live my  old life.”My purpose of becoming a Christian is to be a child of God and to have a wonderful relationship with Him. As a child of God, I want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. [1 John 3:1, 6, 9]
“I am an introvert. I feel uncomfortable talking to people. I am no good at witnessing.”My God can transform me and help me come out of my shell. He will give me the thoughts and words to testify and witness for Him. [Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 4:13]
“I am too old and feeble to be of any use to God.”No one is useless to God. He could even use someone who was bed-ridden to testify for Him, be a  prayer warrior or a role-model or a recipient of love. [Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Corinthians 5:20]
“I keep committing the same sin over and over again. I am too sinful to be forgiven by God. I can’t even forgive myself.”God remains faithful to Himself and His word even if I am faithless. His love never ceases. Yes, He disciplines me but that is because He loves me as His child. If I repent, God will forgive me. If God can forgive me; I can forgive myself. [Lamentations 3:21-24; 2 Timothy 2:13; 1 John 1:9; 2:-1-2]

If I keep lying to myself, I will not be transformed. I must face the truth and let God renew my mind each day with His word [Romans 12:1-2]. I need to be authentic to myself and humble myself before God. And let Him change me to be more like Jesus every day. [Romans 8:29; Matthew 16:24]

By brother Lim Han Soon

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