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PITFALLS ON THE PATH OF LIFE
II-2. LACK OF AUTHENTICITY.
(Matt. 7:15; Matt. 23:27).

In Hans Christian’s Anderson’s story of the Ugly Duckling, a little bird tries desperately to be something it’s not. Actually, Anderson was reflecting his feelings about his own life. When he finally realized that he wasn’t a “clumsy gray bird” and discovered his true identity, he said, “Being born in a duck yard doesn’t matter if you are hatched from a swan egg.” We must be true to ourselves.

As Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true; then it follows as the night the day, thou canst not be false to any man!” Jesus constantly admonished people to be genuine and real. He criticized those who pretended to be something they were not. He condemned hypocrisy, saying, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

“Woe to you . . . hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean” (Matt. 23:27).

In other words, these hypocrites were not authentic. They were not real. Keith Miller said, ”As a new Christian I assumed that we were all supposed to act alike and respond in the same way all the time. I thought that God was recruiting a spiritual trumpet corps, with all the members sounding and looking like one another. If we carefully watched the players around us, we'd see at what angle we were to hold our trumpets and when to pick them up and put them down. But I began to see that the church is not a trumpet corps, but an orchestra. We’re not supposed to sound alike, because God has given each of us our own individual sounds. For years I'd been a piccolo trying to play in the tuba section. I'd never felt free and natural in my faith because I had always tried to be something I was not.”

Each person is unique. We’re not to imitate others. God didn’t want ten Billy Grahams or He’d have made ten Billy Grahams. Jesus didn’t choose twelve clones for disciples. He chose twelve very different individuals. Peter and John and Thomas and James each had distinctive traits and temperaments and interests.

When it comes to authenticity, we can learn from nature. Each animal is different; and that’s okay. The beaver doesn't frustrate itself trying to fly like an eagle or scramble over peaks like a mountain goat. It doesn't strain to develop the strength of a bear or grow the coat of a musk ox. Instead, a beaver's instinct keeps saying, "Be a beaver!” That’s being authentic.
We lack authenticity because of masks, neglected strengths and uncorrected weaknesses.

I. Masks.

The first reason we lack authenticity is because we pretend and play roles and wear masks. Now, it’s reasonable to adapt to different situations and different people. But if the mask begins to distorts our true self, we’ll forget who we are. We must remove our masks and analyze our personal traits, in order to discover our natural temperament.

There are four basic types with an infinite number of possible combinations and blends. So, everyone is different.
Furthermore, there are no bad or wrong temperaments. Each of us is born as a unique individual with special characteristics and abilities. The Scripture says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and in keeping with his individual gift or bent, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6, amp)

We can’t change our natural temperaments. We must be who we were meant to be. In order to be happy and successful, we must abolish hypocritical pretenses.

A woman said, “A scary creature showed up at my door on Halloween. His rubber mask had twisted features, a grotesque mouth and a horrible wound. Quickly, I dropped a couple of cookies into his sack and he hurried away.

Two days later, when the paper boy came to collect, he said, ‘Those sure were good cookies you gave out on Halloween!’ I could hardly believe it! This good-natured, handsome child was behind that ugly mask.”

Sometimes it works the other way. An ugly creature wears a beautiful mask.

Once an old man had an ornate wooden chest in his home. On the lid were large gold letters which said, “Treasures.” But when you looked inside you found a lot of rusty junk. The outside and the inside were not the same. What you saw wasn’t what you got. People who try to change their natural temperaments are like that. They say one thing on the outside, but they are something else on the inside. An old poem says:

The orchid’s not a daisy, and the lily’s not a rose.
The plants don’t spend time trying to be something else that grows.
The bluebird’s not a robin, nor the crow a chickadee.
So sing the song God gave you, and be what you’re meant to be.

We may wear masks because we were told, as children, how we should be. We may be trying to copy someone else; or we may be influenced by the media or peer pressure; but it won’t work.
Jesus avoided masks. He showed his real feelings and expressed his true beliefs.

II. Neglected Strengths.

We also lack authenticity because we neglect our strengths. We can’t change our temperament, but we can shape and enhance it by discovering and developing our special abilities.

A Guide Post writer said, “When I was asked to bake a cake for the church bazaar, I wearily said ‘Yes’; even though I hate baking cakes and am not good at it. Everything went wrong. The first cake scorched. The second one fell. At 2:00 a. m., exhausted and angry, I finally managed to piece together a cake. The next day mine was the only cake which didn't sell. Resentfully, I surveyed the messy posters above the various tables. As a commercial artist, I would have enjoyed doing those. Later, when I apologized to the committee Chairman for my cake, she sighed as she replied, ‘I love baking cakes, but I had to stay up all night to make these dreadful posters.’ Now, when I'm asked to bake, I volunteer to do the posters, instead. That’s my strength.”

Peter said we should use our natural abilities. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:10).

Every person has potential in some area. The first temperament type are those we call entertainers are friendly, cheerful and popular. They have warmth, charm and enthusiasm. These strengths can make them excellent in public relations, performing and persuading people.

The second temperament type are those we call executives are confident, logical and productive. They have energy, organizational abilities and decisiveness. These strengths can make them successful leaders who get things done.

The third temperament type are those we call philosophers are sensitive, persistent and deep minded. They have analytical abilities, imagination and loyalty. These strengths can make them great scientists, writers and researchers.

The fourth temperament type are those we call diplomats are easy going, tactful and cooperative. They have patience, listening skills and mediating abilities. These strengths can make them peacemakers, good friends and helpful followers.

The best advice to anyone in seeking a successful career or developing a satisfying lifestyle is to “go with your strengths.” Find your talents, interests and skills. Then choose jobs and recreational opportunities that emphasize these special abilities.

Jesus knew his strengths and he used them.

III. Uncorrected Weaknesses.

Finally, we lack authenticity because we don’t correct our weaknesses. No one is perfect because every strength has a potential weakness. That weakness can be the opposite of the strength, or even the strength carried to extremes. Even insignificant defects can hinder us.
A woman said, “Last spring, while other trees were bursting with buds, my favorite hazelnut tree displayed only a few sprigs of green. I asked my uncle to come look at the tree and give me some advice. Even though the hazelnut was almost three feet in diameter and over one hundred fifty feet high, it stood there, gray and desolate.

My uncle said, ‘You need to cut down these bushes that are growing around the base of the tree.’

‘How can these little bushes bother the tree?’ I asked.

‘If you cut them down, and pull out the roots, I guarantee that your tree will be okay,’ he replied. ‘They are sapping its strength.'
Uncle Jack was right. I pulled out the bushes, and by the end of the summer almost every branch of the hazelnut had healthy leaves and that fall we had a bumper crop of nuts.

Now when I look at that tree, I'm reminded of how little things can impede our progress and sap our strength.” As Solomon said, “It’s the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song Of Sol. 2:15).

We need to recognize and admit our debilitating weaknesses. John said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8).

The entertainer types need approval, attention and excitement. They will say what people want to hear in order to please; but then they don’t always follow through. Their weaknesses may include lack of focus, discipline and persistence.

The executive types are controllers who will even break rules in order to prove their independence and get their way. Their weaknesses may include lack of cooperation, impatience and domineering behavior.

The philosopher types don’t “fit in.” So, they often become withdrawn and reclusive. When they’re hurt, they’re vulnerable to depression and guilt. Their weaknesses may include resentments, moodiness and pessimism.

The diplomatic types always seek the easy way. They will agree to avoid confrontations. But when it’s time to actually do something, they may avoid the situation and say, “I forgot.” Their weaknesses may include procrastination, compromise and indecision.

Jesus avoided weaknesses and lived a balanced life.

CONCLUSION:

Why do we compete and compare and evaluate ourselves by others? There is no best personality. Years ago an interviewer asked the famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein what his reaction is when he’s called the “greatest musician in the world.” He said, “I become angry. There’s no such thing as the greatest. Each person is unique. There is no best. There is only difference.”

Authenticity is so important. William James said, “To give up pretension is a blessed relief.” Many people look okay on the outside, but if they aren’t authentic they are dead inside.

Years ago, a strange accident occurred. A private jet was flying to the east coast. During the flight, ground control suddenly realized that the pilot was not following his flight plan. Communication failed. Soon they realized that the crew and passengers were unconscious because of an oxygen deficiency. The plane, which was on auto-pilot headed out over the ocean and eventually crashed into the water. Until the tragedy, the sleek jet seemed to be traveling swiftly and normally. Observers would not have known anything was wrong inside. Many people’s lives are like that. It’s only when they crash that we realize something was wrong.

Jesus said, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:14).

In order to find the narrow path that leads to abundant life, we must take off our masks, develop our strengths and correct our weaknesses.
Every person has the potential for good. You never saw an evil baby. It’s the pretense and hypocrisy and false overlay that become so ugly and destructive. We need to be the same through and through. We need to be real and genuine. We need to be whole and consistent.
Our lips and our hearts must match. Jesus said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matt. 15:8).
Our beliefs and our behavior must match. Paul said, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good” (Titus 1:16).

In other words, just be yourself. It’s this true self that God loves.

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(Word Count 2057)
These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in published works.

Material in our sermons usually present the Gospel from a psychological point of view.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other people’s sermons. When I started preaching 56 years ago, I waited for “inspiration” (usually Saturday night, about midnight) before I began my sermon preparation. Then, I discovered it wasn’t inspiration at all—it was sheer PANIC. I would have welcomed this service.

Miles E. Wesner