This is the second in a 5 part series about rediscovering and strengthening your faith. While we each grow up in a different environment, we all learn about traditions, family values, and cultural practices. We may even be raised in a household with specific religious beliefs. Then, as adults, we have the opportunity to make our own decisions about what we choose to believe based on all we’ve learned growing up.

That brings to mind a question whose answer could limit our behavior based on what’s happening around us. Is what we believe religion or faith? Religion is really more about rules and practices while faith reaches to the core of what you believe about your creation, your life, and even your own mortality. During challenging times, it’s common to question your faith by exploring what you truly believe. With the uncertain times we’re living in right now, I know I’m even exploring my own faith.

I’m not sharing my thoughts and perspectives to praise or criticize anyone’s beliefs. I’ll use my own road as an example of how to navigate the journey on your way to finding your faith. Over the next five months I want to encourage you to explore five unique elements of faith that will help you clarify what you believe and give you the confidence to live your life in genuine response to those beliefs.

Part 2: AUTHENTICITY

Growing up, my Dad and both of my brothers were sport fishing boat Captains on Lake Michigan. Once, on a family outing, I asked if I could drive the boat for a few minutes. We were well off shore, and there were no boats within range. When the laughter stopped (in my family, that was a compliment), they actually said yes. I was seated at the wheel inside the cabin, and my Dad explained that I needed to keep us headed West. I had to lean in to read the compass, and honestly couldn’t see much out the front window. However, I had a good enough view to notice there were no boats in front of us. We were trolling, so this was pretty safe.

My Dad was on the back deck with my brother Jeff rigging poles and lines while my Mom sat on the back deck enjoying the weather. My brother John was on the Fly Bridge with my sister and their friends. All of a sudden, my twin brother flew down the stairs into the cabin. He pushed me toward the wall and gave the wheel a spin (just like he did on “Wheel of Fortune” decades later). The boat made a hard left as I watched the reflection of the Sun change dramatically on the water.

JOHN: (Laughing) “There is one piece of wood floating in all of Lake Michigan, and you almost ran right into it!”

What I hadn’t noticed was a large flat plank just floating in the water. If I had hit it, it could have done major damage to my Dad’s boat. It’s no surprise that it was years before they let me drive any of the boats again. I remember my brother Jeff taking my friend Rodney and his group on a chartered fishing trip. Jeff invited me to go along as his First Mate. As luck would have it, the water got rough that day, but there I was on the fly bridge trying to keep the boat heading in the right direction. Going straight into the swells would make for a very rough ride. Instead, Jeff requested that I travel with the swells. No compass required. I could actually steer the boat by feel. Did I mention these swells were big enough for me to see?

In a recent conversation with my Dad, we were talking about my brother Jeff. My Dad shared a story about the harbor where they docked their boats. On stormy days, other captains would radio to my Dad’s boats to see if Jeff was in the harbor. If he was, they asked if he’d meet them at the gas dock located at the entrance to the harbor. While they were seasoned captains, they weren’t comfortable bringing their own boats into the harbor on stormy days.

Jeff would jump onto their boat from the gas dock, take the helm, and drive their boat until it was safely docked in the slip. Even though each boat was unique, those Captains trusted him to guide them and their boat safely to its destination during a storm.

Have you ever treated God that way? The only time you reach out is during a storm in your own life, or what I like to call a “Come to Jesus moment”. There is a certain authenticity about that situation. When things get that real, that scary, maybe even life threatening, it’s almost a natural reaction to seek divine intervention. However, if we ignore God when things are going well, that’s not really authentic anymore. It’s easy to be confident in yourself and take all the credit for what you accomplished, yet it leaves me wondering… which you is the real you?

We have the potential to behave in different ways in different environments or situations. For example, I could be Church Jim, Work Jim, Friend Jim, Home Jim, and Vacation Jim. It took an experience on the way back from an anniversary road trip years ago for me to realize I was guilty of just that.

The ride home was about 5 hours, yet once we were less than an hour from home, Barb pointed out that, all of a sudden, I seemed to be getting stressed. My tone, my behavior, my whole demeanor began to change. Barb asked, “Why can’t you be Vacation Jim all the time?

It was then that I realized I wasn’t being authentic. I was allowing my surroundings and my situations to dictate my behavior. I began to explore how I allowed different circumstances to change my actions, and, as a result, how I was perceived by others. Yes, I behave differently in a business meeting than at a BBQ, but I still maintain my morals, values, and integrity no matter the environment or situation. Being authentic really comes down to being who you truly are all the time in all situations.

When I think about God, I seek him in scripture. Through what I read in the Bible, I am able to get a clearer picture of who God is and how consistent He is. I have a front row seat to how authentic He is in His promises, wisdom, mercy, and grace.

Then I think about me. Am I as consistent? Do I constantly conduct myself in a way that will glorify God? I’m working on that. For example, I now pray daily, not just when things are tough, but no matter my situation or circumstances. Not just on the stormy days, but every day.

What if we look at each area of our lives as a puzzle piece. My wife and kids love to put puzzles together. The puzzles they work involve 500, 1000, or even 2000 little tiny pieces. For me, puzzles are a challenge, so I prefer those with only a few large pieces. What if I leveled the playing field by saying that we each have our own puzzle to put together? The quantity and size of the pieces may vary, so we’d each have our own customized puzzle. That sounds pretty good, right? However, what if I asked you to build your puzzle with all of the pieces face down? Could you do it? Even if you did, how would you know the pieces were really where they were supposed to be? There’s no color, no meaning, nothing that brings the pieces together.

That’s what life looks like when you’re not being authentic, when you’re not being true to whom you are and to whom God is. If you make choices and decisions based on what other people want, to fit in, or for selfish gain, maybe it’s time for you to become authentic, to become who you truly are.

Of course, it makes more sense to build a puzzle by looking at the colors and shape of each piece. In the same way, begin to look at each area of your own life. Be sure each area of your life is getting your spiritual attention. While it’s not easy, it is possible. Take a close look at each area of your life. Find what’s consistent and pleasing to God, and keep doing it. Find what’s not working, what’s keeping you from God, and get rid of it.

I encourage you to examine each area of your life from a variety of perspectives, like those on a charter boat. If you’re inside the cabin, you tend to focus on your current direction, and what you can see right in front of you. If you’re on the back deck, you focus on what’s working, what’s not, and the action of the next moment (Fish On!). If you’re on the Fly Bridge, you have the greatest perspective of all. Not only do you have the “cabin” and “back deck” view, but you can also see potential problems long before you encounter them.

While relationships begin with a solid foundation, they are built on trust. Each person in the relationship trusts the other to be genuine and consistent regardless of the circumstances. When are you most authentic? In which area of your life could you become more authentic? Start by turning over each piece of your life and revealing your true self to you and to those around you. Only then can you fully embrace your authenticity.