False SelfSample

True Self vs False Self

Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator in fear that He was depriving them of something that could make their lives better. They felt that something was missing within themselves, so they took matters into their own hands.

Think back to when you were a child, sneaking an extra sweet or going somewhere you knew you were not allowed to. What drove you past those boundaries?

Every rule that has been broken was done so by someone who thought they knew better than the one who put those standards in place. Like a lost hiker who refuses to trust the directional signs along a trail, we convince ourselves that we know what is best—that those above us are wrong.

The tipping point for the corruption of our world took place well before the fruit was ever eaten. The shadow of the false self was cast when Adam and Eve began to doubt the goodness of God. In doing so, they lost sight of their truest selves—being made in the image of God.

This leads us to an interesting question: If the false self is an identity created out of fear, what would it look like to live a life led by love—to be our true selves?

To know who we were created to be, we must look to the Creator Himself.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. (1 John 4:16)

God’s image is not just something we possess or display (although it is also those things); it is our calling—our purpose.

When we realize the magnitude of God’s great love for us, following Him becomes a source of life and freedom rather than a restriction.

Reflection: Does your love and trust in God motivate obedience to Him?

Prayer: God, when my identity is clouded by selfish desires, help me to see You as You truly are. Guide me in Your love. Amen.