Uniquely Authentic

“Same Song Second Verse”

I don’t know how many of you sang a song with that line in it as a child. I grew up in girl scouts and there was a song we used to sing called “Fried Ham”. A silly, fun, kid song that really had no point to it at all, but that was what made it so much fun. It went like this:

Fried Ham, Fried Ham, Cheese and Bologna
And after the macaroni, we’ll have onions and pickles and pretzels
And then we’ll have some more
Fried Ham, Fried Ham, Fried Ham

Then you would say, “Same song second verse, cheerleader voice and a whole lot worse”. Then you would repeat the song but you would imitate a cheerleader while you did it. It went on and on with many different voices (cheerleader, football player, valley girl, baby, opera style, cowboy, and the list could go on). As a kid, it was fun to try and sound like these different people. It was especially fun to hear a group of elementary girls give their impression of what a football player sounded like.

Now, this song is annoying enough on its own, but when you add in the different voices, it takes on a whole new level of (annoying) fun. I’m really not sure why my thoughts came around to this song (which now will be stuck in my head for a while). However, there is a connection between it and the life that I believe we are called to live as Christians.

There is a message to be shared. There are people waiting to hear it. God has called each of us if we are His, to share His message with others. It is what we are called to do as Christ followers. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. We can start doing that by starting with those in our immediate circles. We don’t all have to go to a foreign mission field to make a difference in the world. We can make a difference one encounter at a time.

That being said, it is important to note that we all don’t have the same sphere of influence. I guess this is where this song came to mind. I can reach people in my immediate circle of influence by authentically being me. Now, I could act like I was someone else, but it would not be genuine and people see through that. People can tell when you are trying to be someone you are not, and quite frankly, it is a little annoying.

If you are a cheerleader, you have a greater ability to reach other cheerleaders. If you are a football player, you have a greater ability to reach other football players. If you sing, you have a greater ability to reach other singers. If you write, you have a greater ability to reach other writers. God has called us to love everyone and I believe we have the ability to share Him with anyone we meet, however, I believe that we are each uniquely able to reach a certain few people, that possibly no one else can.

I am not saying that you should only try and share Christ with those who are like you. NOT AT ALL!! I am saying that each of our abilities and hobbies, as we pursue them, puts us in contact with people who we otherwise would not have had the ability to meet.

We were created to be unique and there is only one you. Be you and let God use you as your true authentic self to reach those who truly and authentically relate to you.

There are a handful of ladies that I have met over the last several years that I truly admire. While I want to look back one day and say that I made the same kind of impact on the world that they did, I don’t want to do it by trying to be them. I will never be them. I was created to be authentically me and by being authentically me, I will be able to reach those I was created to impact for Christ.

Dare to be uniquely authentic and see where it takes you!