It is a phrase we have heard since we could understand words. Our parents, teachers and mentors of all shapes and sizes would tell us this to ensure that we grew up to be confident and individual people.

 “Be yourself.”

 Sometimes it is peppered with exhortations to “be true” or “don’t try and be somebody you’re not.” The combinations go on and on but the sentiment is always the same. I think there are some observations to be made about this expression.

 Yes. By All Means. Be Yourself.

 There is a problem in the church. Well, it just so happens to be a problem everywhere. However I see it in the church pretty often since I am a member of a church. I see people spending so much time trying to meet the standards of particular fads that they forget what it is to be a member of their society. In the case of church I see individuals trying so hard to align with the same pleasures of someone else at church that they forget why they joined church in the first place. It seems like if you don’t wear a particular pair of pants, cut your hair a certain way or enjoy the same obscure art that you simply aren’t going to be accepted by the crowd. 

 Let’s call the pursuit of social acceptance what it is; idolatry. You can try hard enough and wind up actually enjoying those particular things that the crowd says is cool. I’m not going to tell you it isn’t possible because it is. The issue here isn’t you being true to yourself. The issue is that you are trying so badly to be someone else that you have created a makeshift god out of what this person or group of people represents. Your pursuit of likeness and acceptance from them have replaced your pursuit of Jesus. 

 So yes, by all means, be yourself. Let’s not forget though, the yourself we’re discussing here is utterly sinful and broken. We can’t change that. No matter how much paint you put on the walls of your own personal temple can make up for the fact that the foundation is a fragmented version of what it was meant to be. 

 The wonderful resolve here? If you find yourself in the body of Christ you are more loved and pursued than you can imagine. Just as you are. When Jesus walked the earth in flawless demeanor and hung on the cross in remarkable surrender he didn’t have your social standing on His mind, it was your heart He died for. We are destined to pursue false concepts of acceptance and security. There is no getting around that. There is not one of us, even the most socially secure, that hasn’t let their heart rate climb thinking about what another individual thought of them. Jesus died knowing this is our inclination. It was with Him that our insecurity is nailed to the cross. Both the sinfulness of pleasing man and the comfort of being accepted by the Son of Man.

 My appeal? There is no amount of fads you can follow or people you can impress that will save yourself. Societal crafted ideals will always leave you hopeless. However, so will you. So be yourself…or don’t. Jesus has accepted you regardless.