Do you crave authenticity? We encounter so many fakes and phonies every day. Politicians put on their suits and best smiles in front of the cameras, but having heard about so many scandals we wonder what might be going on behind closed doors. Television ads extol the virtues of products, but we know that much of what is said is exaggerated at best, outright lies at worst. What they want, after all, is your vote or your money, and so authenticity (who we are) takes a backseat to immediate practical concerns (getting what we want).
We all crave authenticity, and flee it, to some degree. We want people to be honest with us … except for those times when we just want to be comforted with sweet words. We want to know others and be known, but at the same time feel afraid to let others in to know the “real us.” Is it possible that this tension of desires is because I was created to know and be known perfectly, and accepted without judgment? Ultimately there is only one opinion of me that counts: Not the subjective and capricious opinion of my peers, but the consistent and pure opinion of my creator, God, who is the only one who truly knows me perfectly.