The Danger of "Being Real"

I have a great friend in ministry who always ends his conversations with "be real." What he is trying to convey is be true to who God made you to be and not try to be someone you're not. That is good advice. We get caught up in the latest "fads" and oftentimes the "real" us gets lost in the process. However, for leaders in ministry, "being real" can be a catch 22.

A leader has to walk a fine line in "being real" or authentic. On one hand, the people you serve with and lead need to see you for the person God made you to be. In other words, don't try to copy another ministry leaders dress, style, or persona. People will see it for what it is a mile a way. You have to be comfortable with yourself.

On the flip side of this, some will see your "being real" as a liability. If you express a natural human emotion such as anger, frustration, or discouragement some will say you aren't "spiritually mature." Never mind that Moses got angry, Elijah got discouraged, David got depressed, and Peter dealt with all three of these things. A leader has to be careful and by God's help try to keep their emotions in check or it could come back to haunt them.

This is something I am working on. I am the type of person who wears their emotions on their sleeve. It is not difficult to discern what I am feeling at times. This can be good and bad. The challenge is by God's Word and the Holy Spirit to walk an even keel and not drift to the right and left.

What am I saying? Be who you are, but don't let your emotions control you. Let people see the human side of you, but be careful and not wear your emotions on your sleeve. In the words of my good friend, "be real."

Bryan

Finding Your Outlets-Part IV

Man, it's been awhile since my last post. Let me wrap up my acrostic EPIC for you.

C-stands for creativity. You've got to have a creative outlet in your life. For me, I enjoy to paint pictures and write. For others, it may be woodworking, doing scrap books, photography or something entirely different. The point is, you must have something in your life that gets the "creative juices" flowing. Without creativity, our minds and imaginations go stale. If you don't currently do anything creatively, try a few different things. When you find something you enjoy, run with it!

Expecting Great Things,
Bryan