False SelfExemplo

True Self vs False Self

The false self began with a lie. In the Garden of Eden, the enemy deceived Eve by making her question God’s goodness, whispering that she wasn’t enough as she was and needed something more to thrive.

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. What drove you past those boundaries?

People only break rules when they think they know better than the rulemaker. Like a lost hiker who refuses to trust the directional signs along a trail, we convince ourselves that we know what is best.

The tipping point for the Fall took place well before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. The shadow of the false self was cast when the first humans first doubted 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 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 4:16b)

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

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

Reflection:

What motivates you to obey God? Fear or trust?

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.