Be AUTHENTIC!

Jesus came as a simple man, living the life of men in order to make God accessible.

Instead of trying to impress people with a dignified posture, simply live a normal, Holy Spirit-filled life, and people will seek to imitate you.

A good remedy for pastoralizing is not to take yourself so seriously.

I'm not telling you to be a clown when you preach the Gospel.

But remember that we're just an earthen vessel carrying a great treasure, or like the donkey that carried Jesus.

I'd like to finish by sharing an anecdote with you.

I was in Montreal, and the temperature was -30°.

That morning, I had to lead a few hymns with my guitar during a funeral, before going outside to do the burial in the snow...

To avoid freezing, I had put on a second pair of warm pants under my black suit pants.

As the undertakers brought the coffin into the church, I bent down to stow my guitar cables. And it was at that very moment that my suit pants ripped completely between my legs!

It was panic!

I ducked into my office to try and find a solution and, with the help of a colleague, attempted to repair my pants with black tape.

I then spent the whole ceremony completely frozen, not because of my pastoral dignity, but to avoid anyone seeing that my pants were torn!

Today, I laugh at this story, but at the time it was a very lonely experience.

The flaws and weaknesses you try to hide today (like me with my torn pants), you'll talk about with joy tomorrow, because God will have sustained and strengthened you, you'll have progressed and the people around you will see your progress.

The people around you need to know that you too are on a journey of transformation.

If they see you progressing, then they'll understand that they can too.

I pray now that the Holy Spirit will enlighten you about the lies you've believed and free you from pastoralization and false dignity, so that you can find joy and simplicity again in your service to God! I pray that your authenticity will be used by the Holy Spirit to influence many. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

What has helped me the most to remain authentic is hearing God tell me how much he loves me. I invite you to discover how to recognize God's voice in your spirit with my book, 21 Days Listening to God's Voice. It's a practical, biblical guide that can propel you into a new spiritual dimension. You can download the first 7 days here.

God bless you

David Théry
Practical teachings to experience God.