Chapter Eight

Staying True to Jesus Is Staying True to Myself

There was a time when “being true to myself” meant doing whatever felt right in the moment.
It was reactive. Emotion-led. Self-protective.
And honestly, it left me fragmented, one version of me here, another version there, trying to please everyone, including myself, and failing at both.

But then the Lord began to show me:

The only version of myself worth being is the one surrendered to Christ.

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”  (Matthew 10:39)

That verse used to feel like a contradiction.
Lose your life to find it?
But now I understand.

The real me isn’t found in my feelings.
The real me isn’t found in chasing self-expression.
The real me is found in Christ.

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3:3)

If I want to find my true self, I don’t look inward alone or upward alone.
I look within to see Christ in me, and I look up to follow where He leads.
To the Son. To the cross. To the Word.
Because only the One who dwells in me and died for me has the authority to define me.

There’s a lie that says faith makes you fake.
That you’re not being “authentic” if you surrender to God’s will.

But here’s the truth:

Nothing is more real than walking in the Spirit.

Because it’s not about pretending to be holy, it’s about becoming whole.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new is here!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

So yes, I’ve changed.
Not because I’m trying to impress anyone.
But because I finally met the One who made me, and He showed me who I really am.

And now, to betray Him would be to betray myself.
Because He is the truth. And anything less than that is a lie I no longer wish to live.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I be true to myself and still be true to God?”, let me say this: You can’t be true to yourself unless you’re true to God.

Because without Him, you don’t even know who you are.

You were made in His image.
You were born with His breath.
And until you return to the One who formed you, you’re only scratching the surface of your identity.

The real you is not hidden in rebellion.
The real you is not locked in your trauma.
The real you is not defined by personality tests, opinions, or platforms.

The real you is a child of God, made alive in Christ, called according to His purpose.

So, stop trying to “find yourself” apart from Him.
You are found in Him.

Jesus,

You are the mirror I want to look into.
Not culture. Not memory. Not emotion.
Just You.

Thank You for showing me that my identity doesn’t come from popularity, performance, or personality.
It comes from the cross.
It comes from grace.
It comes from walking with You, even when the road gets lonely.

Help me stay true.
Not just to an idea, but to the living truth, You.

Let my life reflect Your love.
Let my words echo Your voice.
Let my steps follow where You lead.

In choosing You, I choose the most honest version of me.

Amen.