10 Reasons Why Being Authentic Sucks
1. It forces you to respond to chipper people who ask you, “Hey Man!!! How’s it going?!!!” with a joy lynching, “Things actually really suck today. But thanks for asking”.
2. Being authentic takes practice. And I don’t have time to practice.
3. Authenticity cannot be faked. People see right through inauthentic people.
4. Knowing one day I will have to explain to my daughters what mommy and daddy’s “Hubba Hubba Time” actually consists of.
5. You have to answer tough questions with tough answers.
6. “I LOVED IT!!!” is so much easier to say than…”That might have been the most confusing sermon I have ever heard.”
7. Admitting half your iTunes library is “stolen” music is never a fun thing.
8. In the church, not only is it not the norm, it must be taught over and over again.
9. It forces you to lead your team from a servant leader position admitting often they know more than you.
10. Crucial Conversations cannot be avoided.
RAIN IT DOWN
true that.
Now, post 10 benefits of being authentic. I’ll give you number 1.
You can develop relationships that are meaningful, purposeful that inspire growth and the pursuit of Christ.
Oh and the itunes thing, ouch.
Los, authenticity is probably the #1 most lacking thing in church today. By that, I don’t necessarily mean transparency, but I mean authentic love, really meaning it when you give someone a hug or ask “how are you this morning?”, actually following through on your words when you say “I’ll be praying for you”. Goes both ways. However, I find that authenticity breeds health. People might get offended, people might not like what they see, but that’s not the problem of the person being authentic. People were offended at Jesus. People didn’t like Jesus.
Your post is right on. And Tunz; you’re so right. And being authentic with ourselves is the first step.
i’ll add to the list
11. People who think “authenticity” is a license to be insulting. “You smell bad. Hey, just being authentic…”
12. Churches who are so busy using “authenticity” as a marketing tool yet aren’t actually BEING AUTHENTIC because they’re too busy convincing the rest of us how authentic they are…
13. It means I have to post what I really think about authenticity on your blog post.
14. Probably also means that I should admit that I’m being relatively insulting with some of this (ironic given number 11 above), but hey, I’m just being authentic…
horrible grammar in that one. sorry. my bad
if it was easy it wouldn’t grow, stretch and mold you tho…
Weird… I was JUST thinking about all this THIS morning.
15. When you say the word bitch in front of a band member and he and his wife who’s on staff at the church quit and leave the church.
no way. HAHAHAHAHA
amen, bruddah.
16. When you sit in your cozy church office and confuse that with ministry.
Nice art below, man!
I teach Crucial Conversations to my school staff. The first item of the day is, “Start with the Heart”, which essentially to check your motives when you’re talking with somebody. I believe that pure intentions are the baseline of authenticity. Then, act from there.
16. Stuffy Christians on your church board (in a fairly traditional church) see authenticity on your blog and email the entire board and staff to call a meeting because of links to trash like YouTube and MySpace by a pastor.
(he must not know that all the pastors on staff have their own MySpace.)
Sorry. Still a bad taste from that one. Hope he doesn’t come here and see this comment. Not worried though. There’s plenty here to tweak him here before he ever gets to the clicking on “comments” part.
Sorry. That last one just kinda spewed outta me. Maybe i should have just lumped it into #10 instead of spewing on your blog. My bad.