Our Authentic Selves: Reflections on What We Believe and What We Wish We Believed

For most of his life, David Hampton could tell you what he believed about anything, anytime, at the drop of a hat. He prided himself in how well he could parrot what he d been taught about the Christian doctrine. At some point, he decided to trust the experts with matters regarding his spiritual formation and he learned to spout their words as his own. In so doing, he flipped off the switch in his heart. He didn't want to confuse himself with questions. And he certainly...
More Description

For most of his life, David Hampton could tell you what he believed about anything, anytime, at the drop of a hat. He prided himself in how well he could parrot what he d been taught about the Christian doctrine. At some point, he decided to trust the experts with matters regarding his spiritual formation and he learned to spout their words as his own. In so doing, he flipped off the switch in his heart.

He didn't want to confuse himself with questions. And he certainly didn't want to explore the issues and people that fell outside the grid of what he understood to be truth.

I knew what the Christian subculture wanted, writes David, and how to fit into it. I even knew how to make a living giving it what it wanted. I bought in, signed on, drank the Kool-Aid and even ended up working at the stand. Most confounding to me is that I thought I was being authentic and genuine. And maybe at the time that was even true.

It all worked beautifully ... until it didn't.

We can never be honest with others until we are honest with ourselves. Our Authentic Selves will peel back the layers of your heart and leave you transformed, filled with God s truth, and a transparent follower of Christ who is learning to distinguish what you believe from what you wish you believed.