Being Real

• We all value the real, the authentic. Reality TV has exploded onto our screens and media over the last 20 years because culture is desperate to see what’s really going on in people’s lives.
• But being real isn’t easy. It costs. It costs us vulnerability and our pride to be open and real with people about who we are and where we are at.
• But the opposite is true for fake. It also costs. Like the fake football shirts that don’t last a few washes, fake eventually breaks. Being fake breaks marriages, friendships and puts a strain where real wants to bring lightness and relief.
• With Jesus’ help, by being honest with ourselves, with our maker, and in community, real really is the only way – and its our way.

Questions

1. Who am I real with other than God?
2. Why do I struggle to bring my real in church community? What am I afraid of?
3. How can I start bringing more of the real me to my relationships and my world? What might this look like this week?

Resources

• Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen
• All is Grace by Brennan Manning
• The Emotionally Healthy Church by Pete Scazzero