“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken!” You may have heard this cleaver, quotable quote. The reality is God wants us to walk in the fulness of who we are and each of us is uniquely made with our own individual destiny and purpose. He doesn’t want you to be a carbon copy, but your own person.
Do you struggle to be yourself? Have you perhaps moved here from one country to another and are finding cultural differences a struggle? Let’s Get Real this week deals with issues of identity and displacement.
Sue Eldrige and Preethy Kurian host this week’s episode which examines what it means to be yourself’ and especially in a new cultural setting. They’re joined by Chris Larkin, Alison Wilson and guest Lynn Swart of New Day United.
Perhaps the Lord has called you as a missionary? The UK was once known for sending out missionaries all over the world. Interestingly people from all over the world are now being called to the UK as missionaries!
I personally know what it’s like to come from another country and culture and have to learn to navigate new language and traditions. Being myself hasn’t always been easy and I feel I can sometimes be misunderstood. Preethy shares what the freedom to ‘be yourself’ means to her.
She and her husband came to England as missionaries and set up a church in East London. Born in Hindu India, raised in Muslim Saudi Arabia, Preethy talks about not being able to be herself because of the ingrained oppression of women in Saudi Arabia and the need to have her husband’s permission to do many things. Also, living in England, she finds her accent isn’t always understood and certain words have different meanings to the ones she’s used to.
Being myself – What does it mean?
What does it mean to be yourself? Watch the video above and see. Be free to be yourself and don’t and don’t be held back.
Alison recognises that when we accept limitations they affect our freedom. For example we may say, “I can’t speak because… or God can’t use me because…” Don’t be held back.
“We don’t have to use different entrances and we don’t have to cover ourselves from head to toe.” That’s not freedom.
Lynn Swart
Guest Lynn Swart of New Day United says challenges come when we aren’t true to who we are, when we try to be someone else. Lynn is the Executive Director of New Day United a charitable organization working with the poorest of the poor in South Africa.
Do you struggle to be yourself? You’re not alone, tune in to hear what and how the panel have overcome obstacles and learnt to ‘be themselves’.
Read more about Let’s Get Real including details of other episodes.
Don’t miss Let’s Get Real on GOD TV on Mondays at 9.30pm with replays on air on Tuesday at 2 pm, Wednesday at 10 am and Fridays at 3 pm. Or watch the the episode above.
This article was written by UK author and speaker, Deborah Armin who is a graduate of the London School of Theology. Her book On My Way Home: One Woman’s Journey in Search of the Unknown God, is published by Authentic Media. Deborah is also a staff writer for GODTV.com.