Courage to Be Yourself

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) 
 
Maya Angelou once said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” In these frightening times our world is facing, we need more courageous Christians. Specifically, we need more courageous Christians who are brave enough to be themselves.  
 
We not only need courage that challenges systems and structures that oppress us on the outside, but we also need the courage to challenge strongholds we struggle with on the inside.  
 
This was the problem with the church of Laodicea that John writes to in Revelation. They were lukewarm to speak out, but they also lacked the courage to look within. For it is not until one is willing to look within and to be one’s authentic self that you can find freedom and joy in life.  
 
The church of Laodicea was in bondage trying to be like the other churches around them. They built the building they had because they saw the churches in other cities had great cathedrals. Everything they did was about investing time, effort, energy, and resources into being like others, and consequently, they lacked the power they needed because they struggled to be who and what God called them to be.  
 
In this era we live in, particularly with the prominence of social media, being true to yourself is one of the greatest challenges you’ll face. But when you face that challenge, you have a choice. You can either choose to be like everyone else, or you can have the courage to be yourself and to rest in the uniqueness God has ascribed to you as His creation. My prayer is that you would choose the latter and have the bravery and courage to be yourself no matter what.