Just be yourself?

What does it mean to “just be yourself?”

We often hear the advice “just be yourself” when going through a transition in life maybe from someone who cares about us when they’ve taken notice that we are possibly lacking confidence at the moment. For example, when interviewing for a job a friend may remind us to “just be yourself.”

The phrase means, be who you are. Remember your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t exaggerate your skills and talents. And be that unique you that you were created to be; which in this case is good advice.

I was thinking of that phrase “just be yourself” when I came across this passage the other day. It talks about self in a different way. It made me think, “What does the Bible teach us about just being ourselves?”

Which version of “yourself” are you being, 

your old self or your new self or perhaps a little old and a little new? 

The apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:22-24 reminds us, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

“Your former way of life” represents the way you were before Christ transformed you. But your old self also is current and is being corrupted. It just wasn’t corrupt before your encounter with Christ. As long as your body is in this universe, it will continue to be corrupted by its deceitful desires. 

Our old self wants to stay alive but we must put it off, and push that old self away, even reject it! I’d like to think of the old self as a costume I once wore when I chose to live for myself fulfilling the desires of my heart that were against God’s commands. I don’t want to be that person ever again. 

From a Biblical perspective, we should continually put on our new self in the attitudes of our minds. We are constantly in the struggle of putting off our old self so that we can be made new and reflect God, because like Paul said our old self is being corrupted. 

For example, one day I’m waking up loving life and loving others, but at some point in my day, I get upset with a bad driver and in that moment must decide to curse them or forgive them or just let it go. What I mean is our minds are constantly being bombarded by thoughts, judgments and reactions to external stimuli. It’s a continual decision to put off the old and put on the new. 

We shouldn’t think the same way we did yesterday if our thinking was of the sinful nature. If I was jealous yesterday then I don’t want to be jealous today. If I was unforgiving , I don’t want to continue in that. When we recognize that sin is alive in us once more, we must die to it, not continue in it. 

I don’t want to “just be myself” anymore. I want to die to my old self and be made new each day in Christ. May my old thought patterns die off and may the Holy Spirit live and breathe in me and make me new and teach me to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. I want to “just be my new self.” 

And we can see here it’s not “just” that easy. So for now I will practice putting off the old and putting on the new me. If only there were a nifty phrase for that!