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I’ve got a problem with authenticity. I know this sounds bad, like saying, “I hate kittens.” Or sunshine. Or happiness. After all, authenticity is such a lovely, fluffy, catchall term. Everyone wants it, and everyone loves it. What’s not to like?
Consider these memes on authenticity:
By choosing to be our most authentic and loving self, we leave a trail of magic wherever we go.
There is nothing more beautiful than your authentic self.
People who are true to their authentic selves have found the secret to ultimate happiness.
Like I say, lovely. But what does authenticity actually mean? Our culture says authenticity is “being true to yourself.” That’s fine if your true self is a beautiful fairy princess. But what if she’s a warty toad? … Should I be true to the self who says, “Forget everything, except what makes me feel good”? The self who doesn’t do repentance, discomfort, or a crucified God?
Sure, I can be true to this self. But it won’t leave a trail of magic. Even the world gets this point. Here’s what the world really says:
Be yourself—as long as that self isn’t stressed or anxious or frightened or tired.
Be real—but only if it’s filtered.
Be beautiful—but only in these prescribed ways.
Be on a journey—but don’t misstep, and make sure you’re headed where everyone else is going.
It seems that no matter how much the world celebrates authenticity, it doesn’t know how to find the real thing. Often the more authentic people appear, the less authentic they are. Think of the Instagrammer who spends forever on her “no makeup” selfie, the guy who bares his soul as a pick-up technique, or the marketer who sells shabby chic as a brand.
There’s something good in our desire for “authenticity.” We’re tired of masks, and we want to get real. But what if “authenticity” has become just another mask—one more covering for our sins? While the world tells me to seek its validation for my authentic self, the gospel tells me to seek Jesus’s forgiveness for my inexcusable sins. There’s a big difference.
But when we grasp that difference, something wonderful opens up: the chance to drop the act. With Jesus I can stop pretending to be good; I can even stop pretending to be “authentic.” I’m known and loved by someone who doesn’t wink at my sins or consider them “the grit that makes the pearl.” I’m loved in spite of what I’m like, and in the power of that grace I can move out into the world.
Nothing to prove, nothing to hide, nothing to lose. Ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven—that’s far better than “authentic.”—Emma Scrivener1
A whole lot of nothing
Have you ever had a cake that was more frosting or fondant than cake itself? When I encounter a cake like that, I usually scrape off the topping and eat the cake. The top part was only fluff anyway, and I prefer the substantial, chocolaty-cake part. Certain breads don’t sit well with me either—the kind where a bite will dissolve on my tongue, as if nothing was there at all. The thing is, just as there are cakes and breads that are a whole lot of nothing, there’s a certain kind of communication that is the same.
It’s the kind of talking where we name-drop to make ourselves appear better in others’ eyes, or where we exaggerate our accomplishments or other circumstances to appear more attractive to others. It’s where we project an untrue image that we want others to have of us.
When we aren’t authentic in our communications, we trade substance for sugar and cream, and there’s only so much of that that anyone can take. The opposite of smoke-and-mirror communication is when you reveal the reality of who you are; it’s being authentic in the impressions you give and the image you portray.
There’s someone in the Bible who knew a thing or two about being authentic. John the Baptist was a guy who didn’t care about how others viewed him. He wore fur, ate bugs and honey, and probably never shaved. On that train of thought, I’m guessing that he never tried to make himself appear different from who he was to others either.
Once when people flocked to see him, he greeted them with “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Luke 3:7). Some of these people could be considered the modern-day equivalent of a guru’s fans, and yet he didn’t sugarcoat his message to make it easier to swallow, nor did he hype himself up when asked whether he was the Christ. Instead, he frankly stated, “He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (Luke 3:16).
Perhaps that’s why so many people went out to see him. He spoke the truth at all times, and that’s what gained their trust. Even after all his hard sayings, they asked him, “What should we do then?” (Luke 3:10).
In a society overflowing with hype, people who take a stand for their Christian faith and convictions, like John the Baptist, stand out. And we are drawn to people who aren’t afraid to be real. I wouldn’t suggest that we wear fur and eat bugs to make a point. (If it’s not what God is asking you to do, then it’s fake and not being real at all.) Rather, this is about having the courage to be the person God created you to be and to pursue His calling for your life, which will naturally spill over to how we present ourselves to others.
People I admire and who inspire me are those who honestly and bravely embrace who God created them to be and aren’t afraid to communicate that to others. When we choose to communicate the image God has of us over the image we may be tempted to create of ourselves for others, we find authenticity at its finest.
So how do we cultivate that kind of authenticity in our lives? First, spend time with God. When we spend time with God and study His Word, we become less concerned about what others think of us and more concerned about being the person God has called us to be. We strive to follow the example Jesus gave us of what it means to live a God-centered life.
I have found that as I spend time with Him, He reveals to me what He had in mind when He created me, when He placed me where He did, and gave me the gifts and talents He did. He shows me how to be and how to act the nearer I draw to Him.
Second, be open. It’s natural to want people to think well of us. It may be natural to desire to be admired and loved, but a made-up version of who we are will never be better than the real deal. Jesus spoke so much about truth (John 8:32), and as His followers and image-bearers we are called to be true and authentic in our faith, our words, and our actions.
As one author put it, “Real authenticity—authentic authenticity, if you will—cannot be based upon the way you feel; otherwise, what will happen when you start feeling something different tomorrow? A biblically-rooted authenticity must center on living according to what is true—about God and about what God has done in and for you through Christ.”2—Aaliyah Williams
What it means to be authentic
Ever seen an “authentic” Chinese restaurant owned by a guy named Patrick O’Malley? The “real deal” is hard to find these days … and equally hard to define.
Regardless, authenticity is a big deal to Jesus. In the twelfth chapter of Luke, He said, “You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known” (The Message, a paraphrase).
One of my personal struggles is … living out merely the verses I have highlighted in my Bible. You know, the nice verses that bring comfort and reinforce my preferences. Last time I looked at my Bible, Christ’s challenge to “sell your possessions and give your money to the poor” had yet to be highlighted!
Knowing this of myself, it’s easy to get caught up in wondering, then, what it means to be an authentic Christian. Does it mean we should be flawless demonstrations of Jesus? If so, I’ve got no hope.
It’s not about perfection. Thankfully, God assures us that no, Christianity is not about perfection. Rather, it is about engaging in an honest process of becoming more like Jesus Christ. If you feel challenged as you read this, it’s probably a sign that you embrace authenticity.
Authentic Christians don’t pretend they are perfect. But when they mess up, they are quick to admit it and get back in step with Christ. They understand the grace of God and are also quick to give His grace to others. An authentic Christian is one who sincerely strives to be the “real deal.”
To achieve this, perhaps we should regularly adopt and reiterate the Psalmist’s prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23–24). As a Christ-follower, I need to ask myself, “Am I the real deal? Am I living a life worthy of imitation?”
Society isn’t looking for a spiritual theory. Neither are our children. They are longing for a personification of what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus—someone who can say, “Keep in step with me as I strive to keep in step with Jesus.”—Laird Crump3
Published on Anchor December 2025. Read by John Laurence. Music by John Listen.
1 Emma Scrivener, “The Problem with Authenticity,” The Gospel Coalition, September 7, 2017, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-problem-with-authenticity
2 Kenneth Berding, “Authenticity,” The Good Book Blog, July 29, 2022, https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2022/authenticity
3 Laird Crump, “Understanding what it means to be authentic,” Focus on the Family (Canada), https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/understanding-what-it-means-to-be-authentic
