Does Jesus Command Us to “Be Ourselves”?

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“Be yourself”.

It’s the rallying cry of our generation. Be true to our personalities. Stay in our natural grooves. Stick to our comfort zones. Whatever you’d like to call it. We trade this mantra like a recipe, a handy formula for success in personal interactions, handling of money, dating, choice of college major, what have you. Feels pretty affirming.

At first.

A year or two ago, I remember a time I was myself. I made a joke at someone else’s expense. It was an outgrowth of my teasing sense of humor, and it wasn’t taken well. I apologized, but you can bet that “myself” didn’t look so appealing to me in hindsight, which is always 20/20.

Just how much sin do we keep under the umbrella of “being ourselves”?

Perhaps you’re the type to dominate every meeting or conversation, or send the steak back with the overworked waitress three times until it’s exactly right. Some folks would call that “being yourself”. Maybe it’s chronic fear masquerading as shyness, which serves to limit your reach in life. Perhaps it’s brutal honesty; we all know folks who secretly get a kick out of “cutting to the chase” and “saying what everyone else is thinking but doesn’t want to say”. Even if it turns out there’s good reason nobody says it.

But Jesus didn’t call us to be ourselves.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

And he inspires Paul to write:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-23)

I’m sorry if I’m the first to tell you this, but when we signed up for Christianity, we signed up for change. Lots of it. Jesus is as cheerfully and unapologetically excited about your transformation as that personal trainer you’ll be thanking later, only Jesus’ work shows on the inside.

God has in mind a new Brandon. I want to discover him.

To do this, God will put us in situations that run contrary to how we’re made. He called me to teach for three years in a small town in the middle of nowhere, about as non-ideal for a homebody as you could imagine. I gave serious thought to shying away under the guise of “not a good fit”. Moses tried that (Exodus 4); he didn’t seem to see himself as a good speaker. Yet he and I both went, and it worked. Instead of shrivelling and dying, we changed. We expanded.

Have you noticed that we tend to treat our personality as a fixed thing, as if Christ has no access? The reality is, our personalities belong to him. Jesus made ourselves. He’s the one holding the patents here. If he wants to retask one of his creations into something it’s never been before, we’re powerless to stop him. Clay cannot hold up its shape to its potter in protest – “no, no, God, that’s not the way I’m formed!” A foolish statement. Who do you think formed you in the first place?

And he does ask us to step out of our comfort zones, especially if others are at stake. Trying a job with unfamiliar skills. Public speaking. Speaking less. Choosing to be kind and patient when everything within you is screaming the opposite. (That’s another comfort zone God is pulling me out of, kicking and screaming.)

But I do have power to ease the transformation, to fight him less and fight my pride more. Yes, it’ll be maddeningly convenient and frustrating. But perhaps he’ll be glorified by showing the world what he can do with me.

If this sounds preachy, well, I guess I’m just being myself.

God might not call every engineer to lifelong painting, or every outspoken leader to a monastery. But neither will everything be rosy and familiar our entire lives. Our personalities are forfeit where his glory, and the “continuing debt to love one another” (Romans 13:8), are concerned. There’s a new “yourself” God has made. If we’re going to “be ourselves”, let us be that.

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32 thoughts on “Does Jesus Command Us to “Be Ourselves”?”

  2. Amen! Well said. “Our personality is not fixed,” I like that. God likes to pull us out of our comfort zones, that’s for sure.

    I always laugh when I hear, “be yourself.” We seem to always forget that people have base selves! Be your “higher self” makes a lot more sense.

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  4. It’s our hearts and minds that He’s after and we have no idea on the amount of work that is involved in that task. And yet, WHILE we are being made perfect, He loves us still. A heart of flesh does not come about easily but He’s more than able! I see His work in you Brandon, the detours are not important, we all hit them, it’s the destination we seek. May our loving and wise God grant you continued grace and blessings. – Bruce

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  5. Building a house on your own is done in vain, works without faith is dead, and apart from Him we can do nothing. Being ourselves, in His presence, which can only be done through Jesus Christ, is our being perfect. Yeah, you made a joke, but how many do you already make in your head before one comes out? What about pruning, producing fruit, and much more fruit? Your being yourself, even with someone temporarily getting hurt (and God possibly using that to draw them to Him, and help them see you covered in Grace, where He is calling them to be), taught you humility. Gave you the desire for self-control (fruit of the Spirit that can only come from the Holy Spirit). To me, it looks like He used it, in multiple ways, as He so many times does.
    It also pruned you, to some degree, if it made you want to change (which also cannot be truly and purely be done without His power and have, no matter how hard you try or work at it, because all falls without Him). You can try to be that “new yourself,” but wouldn’t that be like building the house “yourself”?
    The being perfect was so taken out of context to make this work, but it truthfully doesn’t, if you look at it as a whole.
    He knows who you are… There’s nothing wrong with being yourself or truthfully willing to be humbled by Him, all for your good and His glory. The rest is just hiding it underneath, from the world, not Him. (He will bring it out eventually. That’s rarely ever a feel-good experience.)

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  6. “Be yourself, follow your heart,” we say, forgetting that the Bible says the exact opposite, “The heart is deceitful in all things.” Thanks for this reminder today, a reminder to let self die so that Christ may live in us!

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  8. While I still don’t like the phrase “get out of your comfort zone,” mostly because I’ve had it directed at me by people wanting me to fit into their circle, I agree with your use of it. There is a part of me that is downright nasty. I don’t even like her, and I don’t want anyone to have the displeasure of getting to know her. I forget that my God already knows her completely, and is willing and able to transform her into someone I’d love to get to know better.
    If I’m going to “be myself,” yes please let me be that!

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  9. This line: “I’m sorry if I’m the first to tell you this, but when we signed up for Christianity, we signed up for change. Lots of it.” is where so many, at times myself, fail to grasp in following Jesus. They want the “Jesus” without the transformation. It’s more like, “OK Jesus, I’m following you now bless my mess.” Blessings bro!

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  10. Pingback: “Jesus, Give Me Your Heart For People” | Brandon J. Adams

  11. I think that the term ” be yourself” when used many times is someone saying don’t pretend to be who you are not for the benefit of others. Stay true to yourself is simply saying. You know who you are, be that person. If you are a believer than you are rooted in Christ. This would mean that for me to be myself, that I am and should act as a daughter of Christ. My actions should be pleasing to Him, my words, my thoughts. All things should show that I “myself” am a Jesus follower.
    I work with teens all the time and in return am telling them to “be themselves”. When I say this I mean things like…don’t pretend to like soccer if you don’t, don’t change your preferences to appease someone else. Don’t talk to impress, don’t dress a certain way because others want you too. Make your own decisions, decisions that because they are Christians should reflect who he is. We have to remember that as Christians Christ becomes a part of who we are. God created us all but I believe he created us to be the best versions of “ourselves”. If he wanted us all the same, he would have created us that way.
    I agree with the points that you made, I am not arguing at all. I am simply stating that I myself use that phrase and with intention.

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  13. Great post, Brandon. I appreciate what you said here: “I’m sorry if I’m the first to tell you this, but when we signed up for Christianity, we signed up for change. Lots of it.” Amen.

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  15. Great post!

    I was just thinking about this this morning, and the lyrics of Jamie Grace’s song Reverb came to mind: “I can’t be myself, because I’m not my own.”

    And even in the sense of not conforming to those around us, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in others’ lives.

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  16. Loved your post Brandon. I’ve hidden under the guise of “being myself” for quite a long time in some cases, especially when asked about evangelism and proclaiming Christ more intentionally. This was very convicting and well thought out. Thanks for the rebuke! Lol

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