Be yourself

The advice to 'be yourself' is nothing new. In fact if comes in our reading today.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:1-5

OK, the word's 'Be yourself' aren't in this passage. But that is essentially what it is saying. We are being encourage to remember who, even whose we are - and then to lives that identity out. We aren't to put on a mask, or pretend to be someone else, but be true to who we are. We are to live, as God's people.

And God's people live radically different lives. When we are true to who we are, we don't look out for ourselves as number one; rather we look out for others. We count our own ambitions, desires, even our needs secondary to theirs. We love them, with the love that Christ has for us, and them.

Are you being true to yourself, in this radical way?