Authenticity and Purpose: A Christian Perspective on Conscious Living

 

Key Passage: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." – Psalm 90:12

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Introduction: The Search for Meaning and Authenticity

In today’s fast-paced world, we are bombarded with messages on how to live meaningful lives. Books, articles, and endless resources promise to unlock the secrets to happiness, passion, and purpose. Yet, despite all this information, so many people remain empty and unfulfilled. The modern quest for authenticity and conscious living has left many confused and disconnected.

Why? Because true meaning cannot be manufactured or self-imposed. It is not found in fleeting happiness, political ideologies, or superficial pursuits. Authenticity, purpose, and fulfillment come when we ground ourselves in something greater than ourselves—our Creator and His eternal truth.

The Apostle Paul speaks to this longing in Romans 12:2:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Authenticity starts with God. As we examine ten guiding premises of authenticity and conscious living, we will explore how they align with a Christian worldview and provide a foundation for spiritual revival and transformation.

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Premise One: Authenticity is Essential

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." – Proverbs 11:3

Authenticity begins with truth—truth about ourselves, truth about God, and truth about our purpose. Jesus Christ, who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), is our model of authenticity. When we live truthfully—transparent with God and others—we walk in the light (1 John 1:7) and experience freedom.

Reflection: Are you living an honest and transparent life before God and others, or are you hiding behind masks? How can you begin to live with greater integrity and authenticity?

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Premise Two: Prioritize What Unites, Not What Divides

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." – Ephesians 4:3

In a polarized world, we are quick to divide ourselves by religious, political, or cultural differences. Yet, Jesus calls us to love one another (John 13:34-35) and to pursue what unites us in Him. True conscious living focuses on peace, kindness, and understanding.

Reflection: Are your priorities bringing peace and unity to others, or are they causing division? How can you promote the love of Christ in your relationships?

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Premise Three: Live with Purpose

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." – Ephesians 2:10

Living consciously means understanding and pursuing God’s purpose for your life. Your passions, gifts, and talents are tools God has given you to fulfill His calling. When you align your goals with His will, your life overflows with meaning and significance.

Reflection: What goals are you pursuing? Are they aligned with God’s purpose for your life? How can you invite Him into your daily plans?

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Premise Four: Take Full Responsibility for Your Life

"Each of you should test your own actions. Then you can take pride in yourself alone, without comparing yourself to someone else, for each one should carry their own load." – Galatians 6:4-5

Blaming others for our struggles keeps us stuck. True transformation begins when we take responsibility for our lives and entrust our burdens to Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). Through His grace, we find the strength to change and grow.

Reflection: Are you avoiding responsibility for areas of your life? What steps can you take to surrender control to God and trust Him for your growth?

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Premise Five: Let Go of What You Cannot Control

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" – Matthew 6:27

We waste energy trying to control the uncontrollable—the past, the future, and other people’s actions or opinions. Jesus reminds us to trust God’s sovereignty (Matthew 6:25-34). Peace comes when we release what we cannot control and rest in His care.

Reflection: What areas of your life are you trying to control? How can you surrender these to God in prayer and trust Him fully?

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Premise Six: Embrace Reality and Spiritual Growth

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." – John 8:32

Spiritual growth requires honesty about our emotions, struggles, and weaknesses. Ignoring or denying reality keeps us trapped in darkness, but acknowledging our humanity allows God’s light to shine through us. Authentic spiritual growth leads to transformation.

Reflection: Are you avoiding difficult truths about yourself or your situation? How can you invite God into those areas for healing and growth?

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Premise Seven: Shift from Scarcity to Abundance

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." – John 10:10

Living in fear or scarcity prevents us from experiencing God’s abundance. Shifting our mindset to trust in His provision (Philippians 4:19) opens our hearts to love, generosity, and joy.

Reflection: Do you live in a mindset of scarcity or abundance? How can you trust God to meet your needs and live with greater openness and faith?

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Premise Eight: Contribute to Your Community

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." – 1 Peter 4:10

True fulfillment comes when we give of ourselves to others. God created us for community, and when we use our gifts to serve and bless those around us, we glorify Him and experience His joy.

Reflection: How can you contribute to your community or church in a meaningful way? What gifts has God given you to serve others?

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Premise Nine: Live by Core Values

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." – Philippians 4:8

Values like honesty, responsibility, and gratitude are not just ideals—they are the foundation of authentic Christian living. When we anchor ourselves in godly values, we reflect Christ’s character to the world.

Reflection: Are your values aligned with God’s Word? What steps can you take to live with greater integrity and gratitude?

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Premise Ten: Choose Gratitude and Responsibility

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happiness doesn’t come from external circumstances but from choosing gratitude and responsibility. As Christians, we are called to live as producers of faith, hope, and love, rather than consumers of the world’s fleeting promises.

Reflection: Are you waiting for life to bring you happiness, or are you choosing gratitude and responsibility each day? How can you cultivate a grateful heart this week?

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Conclusion: Who Am I? What Is My Purpose? How May I Serve?

The journey of authenticity and conscious living begins by answering three key questions:

1. Who am I? – You are a beloved child of God, created in His image for His glory (Genesis 1:27).
2. What is my purpose? – To love God, love others, and use your gifts to make His Kingdom known (Matthew 22:37-39).
3. How may I serve? – By offering your time, talents, and heart to those around you (Galatians 5:13).

Authentic living is not about perfection but about walking humbly with God and aligning your life with His purpose. As you seek Him, you will find meaning, fulfillment, and true joy.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." – Proverbs 3:5-6

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Reflect and Respond

Take some time to reflect on today’s message:

1. Which of these guiding premises spoke to you most deeply?
2. What steps can you take to live a more authentic and Christ-centered life?
3. How can you serve others and reflect God’s love in your community?

Feel free to share your reflections in the comments! I’d love to hear how God is working in your journey toward authenticity and purpose.

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How Opposition is Beneficial to an Authentic Christian Life

 For it must needs be, there is an opposition in all things ~ 2 Nephi 2:11

... it is as necessary that we should have difficulties to contend with, in order to make intelligent provision for our spiritual concerns, as it is that we should have the winter frosts and stormy weather to enable us to make discreet provision for our temporal necessities.

(Benefits of Opposition: Richards, Franklin D. Provo, Utah April 4, 1886).

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We live in a very fragile and vulnerable world. At any given moment, tragedy may strike us unannounced - leaving us devastated with great loss and mourning. Others struggle with vices they are no longer able to control. Still, many find themselves isolated, alone, and wondering if anyone truly cares. Each one of us are battling our own demons and face our own struggles. We question, become angry, and feel weighted down by these challenges. We are wrestling alone and in silent.

As Christians, we understand that there are going to be trials we will face. Through these trials, our faith will be increased.

How then does opposition benefit us? We know the reality of our fallen world. We know there is sin. We know that there is exposure to various trials and temptations. We understand that because of our fallen world, many have turned away from Christ. For us as Christians, there is peace and hope that many others are not fully aware of or are understanding toward.

This does not mean that we will have an easy life. This does not mean that we will not face our own struggles. What this means is how we are anchored in knowing that through these trials we are walking through, there is peace and sustaining support from our beloved Savior. If only we turn to him, even with very little faith, he will help us through those storms and those struggles.

 

The Year of Cultivation of a New Life

 

The first week of 2018 is almost closing out. How far along in your new year's resolution changes have you fully committed too? It is not too late to make necessary steps toward change. It begins with making an honest commitment to begin moving towards intention, purpose, meaning, and conscious living. Make 2018 all about cultivating a new life.

This single moment of commitment stems from the deep sense of impulse of one's desire to grow and change. This authentic impulse yearns for each of us to expand, embrace our larger potential and means to influence others. However, many of us make good intentions of wanting to change, yet we never follow through on those intentions. All paths that lead to hell are paved with good intentions.

Hell, in this context, is misery, pain, inadequacy, and suffrage. We desire to change, however, lack the commitment and motivation to follow through with seeing ourselves changing, growing, and enlarging into better people. Our desire for change requires a serious commitment and motivation for change to happen. This is one key principle I share with my patients. This does not make the journey, or the process, toward change an easy path to follow.

Commitment leads to sacrifice based on our willingness

The beginning path of conscious living, where we have meaning and purpose, begins with the understanding of our own willingness to commit ourselves toward necessary change. This requires necessary sacrifices needed to begin transforming our lives. For the person whose new year's resolution is to begin exercising requires the willingness to commit to exercising. Requires the willingness to change one's diet and eating habits, and making the sacrifices of time, money, and personal change of habits. For the person whose new year's resolution is to quit smoking, the willingness and commitment toward tobacco cessation.

Our level of commitment is our level of willingness. Lower our level of commitment, the lower our level of willingness to make change happen. The higher our level of commitment, the higher our willingness to make change happen becomes. And our commitment comes with sacrifice. That, I believe, is what frightens people from making an effort toward change. Our very desire is our very fear.

Without motivation, our commitment and willingness are futile

The final truth is this: it is not about our intentions. It is not even about our commitment, willingness, and our needed sacrifices. It is about what motivates us to not only start our journey, to keep going through those difficult times while we are engaged in change.

A farmer does not look at his land and say, "this is too difficult." Instead, he sees the various possibilities the land has in producing a bountiful crop. He is committed to cultivating the land, making the necessary sacrifices, and is willing to spend each day nurturing and cultivating. His motivation? It's not the actual bounty of the harvest he may gain. His motivation is the process of each day working, tilling, planting, nurturing, and being focused on what he has accomplished for that day alone.

 

Premise One | Authenticity is Essential to the Human Experience

Photo by PaaZ PG on Unsplash

To begin understanding how authenticity is essential to the human experience, we first may want to establish an understanding of what the human experience is all about. Many people offer different ideas as to what the human experience is all about.

In the introduction to his article, The Human Experience, Robert Firestone, Ph.D. writes:

Human beings, unlike other species, are cursed with a conscious awareness of their own mortality. I believe that the tragedy of the human condition is that people's awareness and true self-consciousness concerning this existential issue contributes to an ultimate irony: Human beings are both brilliant and aberrant, sensitive and savage, exquisitely caring and painfully indifferent, remarkably creative and incredibly destructive to self and others. The capacity to imagine and conceptualize has negative as well as positive consequences because they predispose anxiety states that culminate in a defensive form of denial.

Michael Neill surmises three universal principles related to the human experience. He observes that these universal principles have been observed in science, philosophy, and religion. He provides a brief description:

The Principle of Mind:
There is an energy and intelligence behind life. This is ever present but is not ‘in control’ – it has no inherent morality or apparent point of view. It simply ensures that but for the interference of external circumstance, acorns become oak trees, cuts heal, and life begets life.

The Principle of Consciousness:
The capacity to be aware and experience life is innate in human beings. It is a universal phenomenon. Our level of awareness in any given moment determines the quality of our experience.

The Principle of Thought:
We create our individual experience of reality via the vehicle of thought. Thought is the missing link between the formless world of pure potentiality and the created world of form.

From a more practical, and appropriate spiritual viewpoint, the existential question of the Human Experience becomes even more precarious in teaching and discussion. This is because various religious philosophies attempt to prescribe a "right way of thinking" in regard to the nature of the Human experience.

Spiritual Authenticity and our human experience

There is a vast difference between religious belief and spirituality. Religion, and religious belief, is based on specific dogma's, rituals, requirements of membership into the specific community of believers, and acceptance to particular doctrines that are deemed acceptable. Religion basis the belief, doctrines, and teachings on particular sacred texts. Spirituality, on the other hand, focuses more on the practical aspects of living out specific values and beliefs. Within a religious context, it is the person living out the values and beliefs espoused by the community of faith one belongs.

Spiritual authenticity is the ideology of an individual living out what they have come to identify as core values and beliefs. It moves beyond mere membership within a faith-based community. It transcends religious rituals and rites of passages. In some ways, spirituality is the self-actualization and transcendence of an individual.

It is noted that humanity has always had an innate desire for the spiritual. Meaning, part of our human experience in this life is to have some form of belief where we seek guidance, sustenance, develop faith in, and a hope for something far better than what we may experience in the present moment.

In his article, published at Psychology Today, April 2013, Dr. John Chirpian, Ph.D, Th.D. provides 12 characteristics of inauthentic religiosity. He then prescribes 12 characteristics of authentic religiosity that may shape our own human experience. His recommendation, review the two list and see where one may reside in relationship to inauthenticity or authentic spiritual awareness and spiritual authenticity.

So, how does spiritual authenticity help shape our own human experience? And what does it have to do with living consciously?

Authentic and conscious living is courageous living

Through spiritual authenticity, we no longer live in a spirit of fear. We also, no longer live in a spirit of control. These two great illusions prevent us from fulfilling our own sense of happiness and well-being. What this means is: when we live in fear, we are living a life we do not believe we are capable of overcoming. When we live in the illusion of having control, we may become rigid, unable to be flexible, and experience greater and greater disappointment, as well as suffering.

Giving up our illusion of control. By facing our fears, we are capable of empowering ourselves to live close to our key values and beliefs. We move from faith to faith, hope to hope, and we experience all that life has to offer. We have the empowerment to accept life on its own terms, find the value in our own adversity, and develop resilience to press forward.

Success only happens when we come to realize who we truly are, understand our own purpose and meaning, and utilize our experience and knowledge in order to serve other people. Success is tied to self-actualization and transcendence. It is not about what rights we have or seeking justice for harm or injustice done. It is living by what we believe to be important to ourselves, to others, and the rewards of service.

We live by the truth of our values. This appears to create transparency within our lives. What we believe internally, as we live out those spiritual truths, become manifested externally.

In the Christian faith and scriptures, Christ teaches that it is by the fruit of man that we shall know him (See, Matthew 7:16-20). The goodness of our heart is cultivated. It is carefully nurtured. In it's season, fruit is produced. Likewise, as we strive to cultivate a sense of authenticity, and living consciously, in its due season, people around us will see our values and beliefs.

It takes courage to face our fears. It takes courage to identify, live by and up to our core values and beliefs. It is not easy because we have to forge our own path, take up our own journey. No one is capable of living out our lives. We are responsible for living.

Therefore, living a conscious and authentic life is the journey to discovery and self-actualization of our own human experience.