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There was mild uproar in some Christian circles when the Girl Guides had an overhaul of their promise. Promising to 'Love my God' was replaced with 'Be true to myself and develop my beliefs'. I was saddened by the new promise, but that's not the point. What does 'be true to yourself' actually mean? And how right are the Christians for whom it really grates, myself among them, to be annoyed?
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| Source: http://new.girlguiding.org.uk/what-is-girlguiding/our-mission |
A quick google search, and here is a description of what it means to be true to yourself that I found to be useful:
- Be who you are, be your genuine self
- Follow your own value system and common sense
- Listen to the advice of others, but make up your own mind
- Recognize, appreciate, and develop your unique talents
- Stand up for what you believe in and you will gain respect
- Know that being 'different' is a gift
- Understand that you are enriching others by being yourself
From looking at how the phrase is intended, my understanding is this: Being true to yourself is acting in accordance with your beliefs and who you are. It is about not putting on a false 'front', and not doing something to please others. This is all good stuff, particularly to tell a teenager who is being pressurised to follow her peers into things she is not comfortable doing. It's also very important for all of us to accept who we are.
So why do people have a problem with it? To the humanist, there is little that can possibly be wrong with any of the above. I use the word humanist to refer to not just those who identify as humanists, but all those who seek to live a morally fulfilling life without a God.
For me, however, I don't necessarily what to be everything that is me. Left to my own devices, with no self control or prefrontal cortex function, I am a self-centred impatient intolerant narcissist. My genuine self could be described as someone who seeks her own desires above others.
And for this reason, I don't want to use myself as the reference point for what is true. If being true to myself means developing my own belief system and values that is in direct contrast with being a Christian, whereby I believe that 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure' (Jeremiah 17:9). Instead I want to 'Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to [my] earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.' (Colossians 3:5). And then, of course, there are the famous words of Psalm 119:105 which I cannot help hearing in good old King James Version set to music despite having never been to Sunday School: 'Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.'
I am not the source of authority in my life - God is. Many youth workers have described Sin as this:
So why do people have a problem with it? To the humanist, there is little that can possibly be wrong with any of the above. I use the word humanist to refer to not just those who identify as humanists, but all those who seek to live a morally fulfilling life without a God.
For me, however, I don't necessarily what to be everything that is me. Left to my own devices, with no self control or prefrontal cortex function, I am a self-centred impatient intolerant narcissist. My genuine self could be described as someone who seeks her own desires above others.
And for this reason, I don't want to use myself as the reference point for what is true. If being true to myself means developing my own belief system and values that is in direct contrast with being a Christian, whereby I believe that 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure' (Jeremiah 17:9). Instead I want to 'Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to [my] earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.' (Colossians 3:5). And then, of course, there are the famous words of Psalm 119:105 which I cannot help hearing in good old King James Version set to music despite having never been to Sunday School: 'Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.'
I am not the source of authority in my life - God is. Many youth workers have described Sin as this:
- Shove off God
- I'm in charge
- No to your ways
- Be who you are, be your genuine self
Who says that my 'genuine self' is the self-centred, impatient, intolerant narcissist. Apart from God, I am sinful, but I am also a child of God, adopted into his family by Jesus' blood. 'For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship* through Jesus Christ' (Ephesians 1:4-5).
And yet, all too often, I don't live in a way that is true to my God-given position of having been justified by faith in Jesus. 'Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!'. (Colossians 2:20-21)
Or alternatively, I let my selfish desires consume me for no reason, chasing after possessions, status or comfort (not that these things are necessary bad and can't be used for God's glory) when all along I have the creator of the earth and his word to bring me the deepest joy of all.
And yet, all too often, I don't live in a way that is true to my God-given position of having been justified by faith in Jesus. 'Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!'. (Colossians 2:20-21)
Or alternatively, I let my selfish desires consume me for no reason, chasing after possessions, status or comfort (not that these things are necessary bad and can't be used for God's glory) when all along I have the creator of the earth and his word to bring me the deepest joy of all.
- Follow your own value system and common sense
Perhaps this one should say, 'follow the value system of your own Heavenly Father'. But by God's unimaginable grace by which he sanctifies us, God's value system becomes ours. '...Though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance' (Romans 6:17).
- Listen to the advice of others, but make up your own mind
This section really brought to my mind Colossians 2:8: 'See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.' We should be always discerning and: 'do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all: hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil' (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22
- Recognize, appreciate, and develop your unique talents/Know that being 'different' is a gift
'But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, just as he wanted them to be' (1 Corinthians 12:18). God gives us each different gifts and abilities which work together like the parts of a body to form his church. Another passage that springs to mind is Psalm 139:14-15: 'For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made'.
- Stand up for what you believe in and you will gain respect
The Bible does not promise us that we will be respected - quite the opposite (John 15:18-25), but it does tell us to 'always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.' (1 Peter 3:15)
- Understand that you are enriching others by being yourself
The Bible makes it clear that God has a plan for us to enrich the world: 'For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.' (Ephesians 2:10). We may not see the fruit this side of eternity, but God promises a purpose for our lives, and it is very difficult to frustrate his plans!
So although I don't have another suggestion for the Guides, I do for the Christian.
Be true to your salvation.
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| Source: www.christian-wallpaper.com |
*Sonship refers to the legal standing of an adopted heir in Roman culture
