As I like to do, I found another great article and want to share it with you. It has to deal with walking in our true self verses the false self we so often tend to do. When I mention the true self/false self dichotomy to others, many times I get confused looks.

The true self is who we we truly are, as created in God’s image; we are made with purpose, uniquely gifted to think and feel and act in certain ways. There are specific things in our life that can bring us tremendous delight, that are intrinsic to only us. We can enjoy them with others, but they bring unique and distinct pleasure to us. We have specific passions and purpose in which we were to walk out. This is, in a brief nutshell, our true self.

When we are relationally violated, what happens is we tend to shrink back out of pain and fear. We put up walls, learn patterns of behavior that are incongruent to who we are but socially acceptable. We learn to keep quiet rather than speak up. Instead of bursts of laughter and squeals of delight, we learn not to put ourselves out there and let others know our joys for fear of rejection. We learn to live and relate in our false self.

Here are the 3 Lessons in the Wilderness I found very interesting:

3 Lessons From the Wilderness

1. Our true identity is often found in the wilderness. In a world where we are known by our work or by the image we project, it’s so easy to live out of a false identity. But only God knows who we are, and only He can give that to us. For me, my identity seemed incorrigibly bound to being a high school teacher and coach. I couldn’t imagine being someone else. But as I left that position three years ago, I realized that it was a false front I had created. To leave it felt frightening and then devastating. And yet in the wilderness, God has repeatedly met me, speaking to me about who I am in His eyes as a beloved son and what I am supposed to do with my life now.

2. We don’t realize that God is all we need until He is all we have. To enter the wilderness, we must leave behind all of our God-substitutes—the addictions and the petty idols. Leaving behind a secure, paying job and entering the fray of starting a ministry has exposed my inordinate dependence on money. Really, money acted as a substitute father I went to for comfort and security, but the loss of a steady income has opened my heart to the One who is the true Father. With finances still unpredictable, I am learning how trust, for God will provide where He has called—and He has.

3. We learn to let God write the story of our lives. With the fall of man, we compulsively attempt to author, direct, and play the lead role in our own stories. Frankly, it’s always a disaster. And yet the addiction to our self-consumed script writing dies hard. But it can die in the wilderness. Letting God write the story of my life has meant letting go of many dreams and plans. I have had lay them all down and wait for Him to open the doors of ministry. It has been infuriating at times, confusing at others, but ultimately freeing. To let God write the story means that I can now follow as His son without bearing that burden—and it is a terrible burden.*

*http://www.authenticmanhood.com/3-lessons-from-the-wilderness/