“Would you like me to sign your book?”
The young lad stared across the table at me with wide, excited eyes.
“Oh, YOU’RE the author! Really?”
I assured him I wasn’t just selling anyone’s book. I was the actual, real, authentic author!
The Merriam Webster dictionary chose a perfect “word of the year” for 2024: Authentic. In this day of artificial intelligence it is becoming more and more difficult to determine if images and recordings are authentic. Is that really what he looks like? I saw her mouth moving in the video, but did she really say those things? Did someone literally put words in her mouth? Is something honest, accurate, true? Can we depend on it to be genuine?
Authentic information is based on accurate and reliable facts. Verification will continue to be a problem for years to come. Companies, schools, churches, and organizations will be battling inaccuracies well into the future. New businesses are already springing up, attracting customers who want to confirm the veracity of what they are looking at and listening to. We need to protect ourselves from those who would alter what we are saying and producing.
Being authentic goes beyond worrying if we are being represented honestly by someone else. When we engage with our coworkers, employees, students, family members, and neighbors, are we being careful with our comments and apologies? Are our words honest? Sincere? Authentic?
It doesn’t take long for people to figure out if we’re authentic in our dealings with them. If our interactions are unnatural or insecure, if we’re struggling with our words and reactions, there won’t be any trust. If we don’t back up our words with actions, no one will have confidence in us. They will quickly figure out there is no safe ground with someone who isn’t being honest.
Some say that being authentic is living our lives according to and being true to our own values and goals. As Christian leaders, we make sure our values and goals line up with those of our Lord Jesus. Rest assured, people will then want to spend time with us and trust us because they are certain of our authenticity. When they have faith in us, they will meet their goals and be confident in their plans and dreams. If they’re not sure, they will hold back their trust and measure everything we do and say.
When the Apostle Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, people were not just skeptical of his words. They were terrified that he wasn’t being authentic. Perhaps it was a trick to infiltrate the Christian community so he could arrest or kill them all (Acts 9:26). Was this an authentic transformation? Was his heart really changed?
It was only after those early Christians were convinced of his authenticity, that Paul became the trusted missionary to the Gentiles, proclaiming the truth about the Lord Jesus saving them from their sins and giving them eternal life (1 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:11). He was adamant that they could trust in His promise.
We know our Lord Jesus was authentic. He didn’t just claim to be God’s Son. He also behaved and spoke with the same values and words of His Father and was His exact representation (Hebrews 1:3).
When people heard our Lord Jesus speak and witnessed His behavior, they knew He was truly our Savior (John 4:42). Peter and John were adamant about the truth, the authenticity of our Lord (2 Peter 1:16). They knew Him personally, face to face, and were there to watch His miracles, hear His teachings, and see Him risen from the dead. At the end of his Gospel, John says we can trust him. He saw all of this with his own eyes. His witness is authentic (John 21:24).
Our goal as leaders is to imitate and honor the original… our Lord Jesus. To do that faithfully at all times is our daily challenge. But when we remember that the Holy Spirit is strengthening our resolve to be authentic, we can live honorable lives knowing what is true (1 John 2:20, 27).
As far as the challenges of artificial intelligence, maybe it will remind us to do more in-person connections to be sure we can trust our conversations. Perhaps it will bring us closer together.
But in the end, I know that when I am finally greeted by my Lord Jesus, face-to-face, there will be no doubt that His love and mercy are real. I will rest safely in His arms.
And the joy I’ll feel in His presence? It’s authentic!
Christine Vogelsang is a teacher, musician, pastor’s wife, and mother of three adult children. For almost forty years her family enjoyed the love of congregations in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Southern California. She has earned her master’s degree in education, taught at various schools (from kindergarten to college) and served as music director for twenty-five years at their last church.
While writing and speaking about the joy of being God’s child has always been a part of her life, it wasn’t until her weekly inspirational blogs (restoringthejoy.net) gained an international following that Christine decided to publish her first book. She has also written and produced three plays about people and events in the Gospels that bring these ancient stories to life.
Christine and her husband have retired from full time church work; however, her blog ministry continues to grow. She recently completed her Restoring the Joy: Leaving My Guilt at the Cross book series (available through Amazon) and is scheduling more speaking engagements that highlight her spiritual passion: joy without guilt!
