Being the person God intended you to be

By Ellen Shuck

We can have numerous selves. Yes, selves. "How can that be?" you might ask. From infancy into adulthood, we try to find out who we are and how we should be.

Depending on confidence and love of self, we present ourselves in various ways. Most people put together what is called "the ideal self." We decide how we want to appear to other people, and then act in a way that will, hopefully, get the desired results. There may be all kinds of visualizations about what an individual wants to be like, and that person works hard to pursue that image. That is good if a person's ideal self follows the created self -- that self God intended.

If a woman, the ideal self or persona could consist of many facets -- wife, mother or career woman (cooking dinner in high-heeled shoes or working in New York City at a fashion house). Perhaps it involves becoming a famous nurse, minister or author -- all sorts of things.

If a man, the ideal self may consist of becoming CEO of a large company who dresses in the finest suits and ties. Perhaps it's becoming a doctor of medicine, one like those seen on TV, sweeping through hospital halls and saving the day for critical patients. Lots of acclaim follows. Perhaps its gallantly losing one's license to practice medicine because of some unethical, yet noble deed performed -- all to save a life. Yes, almost everyone, holds a picture of what one wants to be like and what one wants to do.

Sometimes a person can reach the criteria and rewards of the ideal self, only to forget the burdens, hard work, stress and hardships experienced to create that ideal self. They may wonder, "Was it worth it?"

All those visualizations, hopes and dreams are great to have, and dreaming and visualization are necessary before goals begin to unfold. We may ask, "What am I pursuing? Does it bring me contentment? Is it abnormally stressful?" The more important questions are: "Am I being the person God wants me to be? Am I doing what only I can do? Am I glorifying God in what I'm doing?"

It's the answers to those question that will bring happiness and satisfaction, or distress and pain. Perhaps it's time to give that created self a chance. That created self God placed within each of us.

Although that ideal self created in the head may look good and bring some good results on the outside, what's going on inside? Is there happiness and fulfillment, or stress and worry?

Perhaps there's the entrapped feeling of trying so hard to achieve the ideal self. Is it possible because they're being done for the wrong reasons? Maybe it's being done to attract attention, or to fulfill a need for social connections, or possibly to satisfy insecurities.

One needs to examine and find out.

Is it for God, for oneself, or just raw ambition? All those reasons can be laudable if done in the right context. If they are done with feelings of love and doing good in the world, the ideal self will have become the created self -- the person God intended.

God does not ask that we do more than we're capable of doing, and stress over it, or attempt jobs at which others are better equipped. He desires only that we use the talents, personality and gifts He has given to us. He asks just that we be ourselves, inside and out, by conforming to our "created nature."

Scripture states, "For am I seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).