Have you ever had a moment when a conversation transported you back in time? That happened to me yesterday. As I was coming home from picking up my 12-year-old daughter, she and her best friend were talking about their day and the attitudes of some of their friends.

Suddenly I was transported back to my time in the seventh grade. It was a time when I really was trying to figure out this thing called life. I experimented with clothing styles. One day, I would dress like the preppy Alex Keaton from “Family Ties”; the next, I would put on my cowboy hat and boots. I was trying to fit in. What I did not realize until many years later is that it is OK to be myself. I do not need to fit into some box or wear what my friends are wearing. I need to be who God created me to be. If we are to make a difference in the next generation, we must help students live a life of authenticity.

In order to be who God created us to be, we must understand the importance of authenticity. We need see the authenticity of who Jesus really is. We each need to realize Jesus is more than just a Person to call on in times of trouble. He is God in the flesh. He is a Person who understands us. We truly can say Jesus gets us. He knows ourthoughts, needs and dreams. He is not just a problem solver. When we understand this concept, then we can see the power of the cross revealed. We see a God who came in the flesh to show us how to live, how to die to our sins, and how to be raised to walk in His righteousness.

We all want to be understood. We are looking for a place to belong. We want someone to understand us and identify with our struggles. Christ is that Person. If we become an extension of Christ’s life, we can impact our friends and the world in a mighty way. By investing our lives in students, just as Christ invested in the disciples, we will see much change.

We need to strive to be real and authentic. Jesus was able to do this very well. His disciples saw Him in His full glory on the Mount of Transfiguration and in His brokenness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Authenticity is really at the heart of the Christianity. When Jesus was baptized and the Father spoke His affirmation over His Son by saying “in whom I am well pleased,” we see who Jesus really is. His divine nature and human nature were transparent for all to see. All we have to do is look. His miracles testify to His deity while His sorrow and brokenness display His humanity. Authentic living is what every believer is called to do within the body of Christ and as extensions of His saving grace.

I just got an email last week about my 20-year high school reunion. In a way, that sounds like a long time; but it seems like only yesterday to me. It will be neat to go back and see if the people I knew are anything like they were back then. What will they look like? How have they changed? There will be some who still are trying to keep up their high school image, and there will be some who are totally different. It will be a great experience.

I want to leave you with two questions: Do you know who you really are? As you reach out to your friends, do they see a phony or an authentic person who loves and cares for them? Take some time this week and discover the real you. Just remember God didn’t call us to be like everyone else, but to serve Him out of our uniqueness.