That is a question.
And it’s particularly relevant after Easter.
For it is a chief calling of Jesus: to be who God meant us to be, not to conform to the distortions of this fallen world (and its people). He showed Who He really was when He rose. We found out Who He really was (and is, and will be always).
A “fallen world,” or call it a shadowland: that’s what the greatest splendors of earth are compared to Heaven, a mere shadow, and to gain direct entry to that splendor, we need to be who we really are.
Authenticity comes with being natural. This is a word the mystic Maria Esperanza of Venezuela frequently used to say. Be what comes naturally from the core of your goodness; there is the spark of Christ in everyone.
You must focus on love in this life and you can’t love if you are not authentic. We must be, authentically, who we are.
An authentic antique is the real thing, not a replica. An authentic experience is true to life, not staged, not artificial. The same is true of the spirit within us.
You know how life is: we can tend to wear various masks. We can bury our spirit. We have one persona with this person, another persona with another: one with certain friends or neighbors or whomever, but one we switch to fit the occasion and company we’re in. We wear masks.
Take them off. Just be you. Just be the person who is comfortable in his or her own skin.
Being true to oneself: This is about acting in line with your values and beliefs, and expressing yourself honestly. An authentic person doesn’t try to be someone they’re not. If you’re here and you’re living, you’re not perfect. When we’re perfect, we go on. The struggle is real. And that struggle is often against pride and falsity. A false persona is not you. It is pride acting. It pushes away glory. On the other hand, when we are vulnerable, God is near.
He is also near to us when we make others feel good. You need to serve and care for others. This is the genuine you. This is your connection to God.
He loves you, warts and all.
He loves every single person with the same power.
Be the eyes of God when you look at others. Let His love flow through your heart to others. Beam His love. This is authentic.
When you have a flaw, admit it. Watch your thoughts, because they become your habits; watch your habits, because they become your actions; your actions become your character; and your character becomes your destiny.
Never mind pretenses.
Never mind posturing yourself in a way that you think will please others—will meet with their approval. Only concern yourself—only!—with how you look to Christ.
When we’re natural, we act in a way that gives us balance and peace. When we at ease with ourselves, we are subsequently at ease with others. What do you care about what anyone thinks? Put on no airs. Dispense with artificiality. You are who you are, and you are as loved by God as anyone who ever walked the face of this planet.
To be natural is to go with God’s flow. It is to speak with the truth of humility.
When you don’t care about impressing others, when in fact downward mobility is more comfortable than striving for a high worldly place—for the accoutrements of “success,” you have taken a step into your authentic self.
Be who you are, love yourself as you love others, and look at your face in the mirror through the eyes of Jesus, who will then look back at you. Let your eyes be His.
Your true self is: your connection with Heaven.
And when you wear the truth of who you really are, you blend into the splendor of the hereafter, which, unlike pretense, lasts forever.
[resources: Michael Brown retreat, Florida, May 18 and What You Take To Heaven]