Authenticity is the buzzword of our day, isn’t it?

Oh, to know others as they truly are, not as they appear to be on their social media pages, online dating profiles, or behind a screen. Oh, to be ourselves and have others accept us for who we really are.

Yet authenticity is rare in this image-conscious world. And fear of being disappointed or rejected can keep our own authenticity at bay, and cause us to believe that nothing and no one is real these days.

In a day of artificial intelligence and online “relationships,” how do we know someone is who they say they are? How can we trust the people we meet online or the “friend” who messages us from what could be a hacked social media account?

And how do you and I know who to trust with our authentic selves? What if we let our guard down and we end up being sorry we did? Is God the only one who really is who His Word says He is?

God lovingly makes Himself known to us through His Word, through His comforting and enabling presence, and through His love expressed to us by other believers. And He longs for us to be authentic with Him and others in the body of Christ.

Yet He understands our fears. He knows the inner workings of our hearts and is the only One who knows us far better than we know ourselves. We tend to see ourselves through the lenses of what we’d prefer to see, or of how other have seen us. We often define ourselves by the labels we’ve been given, or with medical or psychological terms that describe our disabilities, weaknesses, phobias, and mental and emotional frailties. Yet as we trust in Jesus, God’s love covers our inadequacies and He sees us as perfect, like His sinless Son.

At the beginning of Psalm 139, David makes this proclamation:

“You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me” (verse 1, CEV).

And toward the end of that song, after singing of all God knows about him, David then invited God to look further:

“Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking” (verse 23).

David wasn’t holding anything back.

“And see if there is any hurtful [or idolatrous] way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (verse 24).

David wanted his Creator to examine everything that lurked within him and to clear out what needed to go so he could be all God desired.

Does anyone else besides God truly know you? If so, you are blessed. I remember, during a lonely season of my life, believing there was no one who really knew me. And if they did, they certainly wouldn’t love me. Therefore, I believed I must still pretend to be who I never was. The thought that no one would ever truly know me was devastating. But it was also a lie from the pit of hell. A lie that Satan, the enemy of my soul—and yours—wants us to believe so we will feel rejected, defeated, and without hope. He wants to belittle us so much that we refuse to believe our loving Creator knew exactly what we’d be like and still He created us, saved us, and continues to love us.

You have a God with whom you can be real and pour out your heart, and you will be safe (Psalm 62:8).  He already knows all you want or need to say, but He wants you to trust Him with your authentic self. Hang onto this trustworthy God. He is your lifeline. And He can bring to your mind—and to your door—the people who love you for who you really are.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that “all my ways are known to you” (Psalm 119:168 NIV) and yet You love me still. Help me to feel safe being real with You and to take the risk of being real with others, knowing You have my back and my name.

How would you like me to pray for you, friend? Let me know in the comment section below. (And if you need more assurance of this God who loves you and wants to connect with you, see The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.)