Joel Osteen - Be The Authentic You
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I want to talk to you today about Being the Authentic You. It’s easy to go through life trying to protect our image, always looking good and impressing people. We can’t let them see our flaws or shortcomings, or they may think less of us. So, we live with this pressure to perform, to pretend, and to wear a mask. But the people we’re trying to impress, those who seem to have it all together, have issues too. Everyone is dealing with something. The Scripture says God’s power shows up greatest in our weaknesses, not in our strengths—not in the areas we excel but in our struggles, our flaws, the things we’re trying to hide. God is not looking for the fake you, the pretending you, the cover-up you; He’s looking for the real you. The you that’s not perfect. The you that can get jealous, angry, afraid—the you that doesn’t always feel worthy or good enough. When you get honest with yourself and stop trying to camouflage your struggles, living in masks to maintain your image, that’s when God will step in and help you change.
Instead of hiding what we’re struggling with, when we go to God and admit our dependence on Him, saying, «God, I need you. I don’t like being this way. I’m afraid, I’m angry, or I don’t feel like I’m good enough,» help me to change. It’s not a weakness to admit you don’t have it all together; it’s a strength. When you take off the mask and are open before God, He doesn’t fault you. That’s when His power shows up to change you.
When Jesus saw Peter out fishing, He called him to be His first disciple. «From now on, you’re going to fish for men.» Peter fell on his knees and said, «Lord, go away from me. I’m not worthy; I’m a sinful man.» He was saying, «Lord, I have flaws. I’m hot-tempered, I use bad language, I’m impatient.» He didn’t try to cover up who he was to protect his image. He was honest and vulnerable. Jesus didn’t say, «Thanks, Peter; I didn’t realize how messed up you were. I chose the wrong man.» No, after Peter revealed all his flaws and weaknesses, Jesus said, «Peter, you are a rock, and upon you, I will build my church.» He was saying, «Peter, I know everything about you—the good, the bad, the ugly—and because you’re open and vulnerable, not wearing a mask, I’m going to make you into something more than you’ve ever imagined.»
God is not faulting you for having weaknesses. Areas where you struggle can include pride, jealousy, or compromising; He knows what you’re dealing with. He didn’t choose you because you have it all together; He chose you because of what you can become. God would rather work with someone like Peter, who is open and honest, than someone who tries to hide, pretend, and wear a mask.
See, Jesus could have gone to the temple and chosen one of the Pharisees— the religious leaders—to become disciples. They looked the part. They worked in the temple, wore long robes, prayed in public every day, and taught in the synagogues. You know why He didn’t choose them? They wore masks. They were pretenders, acting one way—nice, holy, kind—but on the inside, it was a different story. They didn’t care about people; they cared about how they were going to be seen. They were arrogant and harsh, putting rules on people that they couldn’t keep. Jesus had strong words for them. He said in Matthew 23, «You are like whitewashed tombs. You look great on the outside, but on the inside, you’re full of dead man’s bones.» He was saying, «You’re a fake. You’re a pretender. You go around wearing masks, acting one way, but your motives are wrong.» He called them hypocrites because they were two-faced, projecting one thing when, in reality, they were just the opposite.
It’s significant that Jesus didn’t call Peter a hypocrite. Why? Peter admitted he was a sinner, unworthy, and not making good choices. He didn’t try to hide it; he was open. The problem with the Pharisees wasn’t that they had issues—they were dealing with pride and wrong motives. We all have some kind of issue. The problem was they acted like they had it all together. They put on masks to pretend and cover up the issues they were dealing with.
This temptation comes to us all—to be a Pharisee. «I have to protect my image and make sure I look good. Nobody sees my weaknesses.» We feel we must wear this mask for our friends, this mask at work, and a mask for relatives—a mask at the gym. Some people are professional pretenders; they have a mask for every situation. But there’s a lot of pressure to be fake, to camouflage and perform so we’ll be well-thought-of and invited into their group.
If people can’t accept you for who you are, then you don’t need them. If you have to perform perfectly and are pressured into being something you’re not, do yourself a favor: take off that mask. Quit being a lesser version of who you are and be the authentic you. If they can’t handle it, or if they fault you because you’re not perfect, then move on with your life. Your time is too valuable to be a fake you—a pretending you, a you that has to play up to people, or you’ll be looked down on. Take the pressure off. They may act like a Pharisee, as if they have it all together, but they have issues too. None of us are a finished product.
The apostle Paul wrote over half of the books in the New Testament. He was a brilliant scholar, trained at the highest levels, spoke five languages, and came from an influential family. He could have told us all his strengths—how accomplished he was and how smart—but he said in Romans, «The good I know I should do, I don’t do, but the bad I don’t want to do, I keep doing.» He said in Philippians, «I’m still not all that I should be.» He was not ashamed to admit that he still had flaws. He still didn’t perform perfectly all the time. He could have easily put on a mask and just let us see his greatness. «Man, I’ve written books in the Bible; I’ve changed history. Yes, I’ve got it all together.»
Admitting your shortcomings isn’t weak; it’s a strength. You’re showing God that you’re depending on Him. When you try to handle it all on your own and put on different masks to cover up what you’re dealing with, God will step back. His power doesn’t show up as much in our strength but in our weaknesses. The mistake we can make is if we try to hide the weakness. We can’t be vulnerable; people may think less of us, so we have to protect our image. No, you have to take your image off the throne. Your image is not going to get you to your destiny. Having people like you and being well-thought-of will not move you to your purpose. Paul was more accomplished than anyone, yet he was vulnerable enough to say, «I still don’t have it all together. I’m still depending on God’s grace, mercy, and favor.» That’s why God could use him in such a great way.
There’s power in being the real you—not the fake you, the pretending you, or the Pharisee you. That’s a trap to keep you from seeing the favor of God in a greater way. A friend of mine is a pastor, and years ago he was on drugs, had problems with alcohol, and had violent outbursts where he couldn’t control his temper. He came from a broken family; his father was the same way, and he hated everything about his dad, but the son turned out just like him. It looked like he would live a defeated, addicted life. In his twenties, God stepped in and supernaturally freed him, turning his life around. He became a minister, pastoring his church and telling his story, helping many people.
The problem was he still had issues. He was free from drugs and alcohol, but the smallest thing would set him off; he would explode—not in a normal way. He would get a little upset, but these were violent outbursts. He’d harm people, throw things, and be out of control. When he calmed down, he felt so ashamed and embarrassed. He didn’t want to be that way. He knew it was ruining his marriage and damaging his children, but he felt trapped. He was a pastor. He was supposed to have it all together. People looked up to him. He thought, «I can’t tell anyone. What will people think? It’ll ruin my reputation; I could lose my church.»
So he did what many of us do: he hid it. He put on a mask and acted like everything was okay. Of course, his family, his children, knew the truth. It looked like they were a model family, but behind closed doors, there was chaos. The truth was he was a good man, crying out for help, but he wouldn’t take his image off the throne. His ego and how he looked kept him from telling anyone. The Scripture talks about how the enemy thrives in darkness; anything we keep in the dark is in the enemy’s territory. As long as it’s hidden, he has authority in that area. The darkness covers it up—that’s his domain.
But 1 John 1 says if you walk in the light, as God is in the light, then the blood of His Son Jesus purifies us from all sin. When you bring into the light what you’re struggling with, you come into God’s territory. In the light, when you’re open and honest, the forces of darkness cannot hold you back. That’s why the enemy works so hard with shame, guilt, and what people will think—how our image is going to be affected. He whispers to you, «You gotta hide that struggle. Don’t let people see your weaknesses. Pretend you’re okay. Act like you have it all together.» Those are tricks to try to keep you from coming into the light. In the light, there’s freedom. In the light, there’s deliverance, holiness, and victory. The enemy will tell you the opposite: «No, you’ll be looked down on. You’ll be ashamed.» In the light, there is no condemnation. There is mercy for mistakes. There is forgiveness. There’s a new beginning.
No more covering it up. Get out of the enemy’s domain and come over into God’s territory. One time, David made a mistake. He committed adultery and had the lady’s husband killed. For one year, he hid it. He was so ashamed; he covered it up and wouldn’t tell anyone. For that year, David was sick; he was weak, not able to go out and fight battles. He was going to keep it hidden, but the prophet Nathan confronted him, saying, «David, I know what you’ve done, and it’s not right.» Well, David was smart enough to take off the mask and quit pretending. He said in Psalm 51, «God, I acknowledge my transgressions.» He was saying, «I’m not hiding it anymore. I’m not going to keep covering it up. I’m going to bring it into the light.»
It’s not natural, I know, to admit our struggles and bring them to God. We’re not proud of it; we know we should do better. But God already knows what you struggle with. It’s not a surprise to Him—whether it’s mistakes, failures, pride, or jealousy. When you come to Him, there is no condemnation. People may judge you, but God forgives you. He restores you and gives you another chance.
In the story of the prodigal son, he left home, wasted all of his inheritance partying, living wild, and making bad choices. He ended up living in a hog pen, having to eat the hog food to survive. Finally, he decided to go back home. The father was at the end of the driveway, watching for him. He ran and hugged his son, kissed him. The son started apologizing, saying, «Dad, I’m so sorry for all the trouble. I don’t deserve to be in this family.» The father stopped him and didn’t let him finish his apology. This father never brought up the son’s past; he never addressed his mistakes, saying, «Why were you so immature? You’ve ruined our family name.»
This father represents God. We think when we bring things into the light, we’re going to get berated and chewed out, but God doesn’t bring up your past. He’s not looking back; He’s going to help you move forward. But here’s the whole key: God can’t heal what we don’t reveal. If you keep it in the dark, you’re going to stay stuck. David said God requires truth in the inner parts—in the parts no one can see. Not the image, not what we’re protecting, not wearing the mask, but what’s behind the mask—the real you, the authentic you, the you that has weaknesses, the you that struggles in areas. If you bring that into the light, God can restore, free, and help you to overcome.
When I say «in the light,» I don’t mean you have to go out and announce it to everybody, but between you and God, be honest: «God, I’m struggling with my temper. God, I’m a jerk at work. I mean this person at work. God, I don’t feel good about myself. Oh God, help me not to watch things that I know are dragging me down.» That’s truth in the inner parts. That’s what God responds to. There’s no shame in asking for help, but there is shame in covering it up, hiding, and wearing a mask. That’s a heavy weight that’s going to drag you down.
This pastor’s wife kept telling him he couldn’t keep living this way—pretending everything was okay. She encouraged him to get help, but again he said, «I know I should, but I’m supposed to be the example. What are people going to think?» Sometimes we’re more concerned about our image than we are about getting well. The people you’re worried about thinking less of you—if you knew their struggles, you wouldn’t worry about it. Everyone’s dealing with something.
One day, he got his courage up and met with some pastor friends. They took him in and encouraged him. He got into a support group and surrounded himself with people who loved him and challenged him. Today, he’s completely free. He’s been pastoring for 20 years; he’s the most kind and gracious person you could ever meet. But here’s my point: he would still be dealing with that anger if he hadn’t been willing to take off his mask. He kept pretending, acting like everything was fine. He wouldn’t still be married. He wouldn’t still have his church. God’s power shows up greatest in our weaknesses, but you have to invite Him into your weakness. You can’t hide it and have His power. You can’t wear a mask and expect God to free you.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians that we see God’s glory with unveiled faces. Are you missing God’s glory because your face is veiled? There’s a mask. Are you not seeing favor and breakthroughs because you’re hiding something? You’re embarrassed by it. It’s easy to keep it covered; God already knows about it. It’s okay to go to Him with an unveiled face. Be honest with God. That’s when you’re going to see His mercy and favor. He knows how to heal, restore, and make it new again. Like with the prodigal, He’s not going to bring up the past. He’s not going to condemn you. He’s going to free you and set you on a path to victory.
There was a man in the scripture named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector; they were known for being dishonest and cheating people, and nobody liked him. He was the chief tax collector and was in charge of all the dishonest people. Well, he heard that Jesus was coming through town, and he wanted to see Him. The streets were filled with people; they were so crowded. The problem was Zacchaeus was short. He was small in stature. The average man’s height in that day was five feet five inches. Scholars say that Zacchaeus was probably four feet six inches tall, about my brother Paul’s height. It’s interesting that the scripture tells us he was short. It has a deeper meaning than just his height; in life, he came up short. He had wealth, position, and influence, but he was dishonest. He was looked down on and didn’t feel good about himself.
In some way, we’re all short. We can have a good marriage and a good job, but we struggle with our self-esteem. As a parent, we can come up short and feel guilty, thinking we’re not raising our child as well as we should. People that are arrogant are often short, trying to cover their insecurity. The scripture says we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. What do we do when we’re short? Zacchaeus climbed up in a tree to make up for his lack of height. Now he was back to having an impressive position; he had the best view in the place. From that vantage point, nobody could tell he was short. He was up there, good and waiting for Jesus. By that time, Jesus came walking by, with hundreds of people on the street, everybody hollering and waving, trying to get His attention.
Suddenly, Jesus stopped, looked up in the tree, and said, «Zacchaeus.» He froze and thought, «Did He just call my name?» Zacchaeus had never met Jesus. He wasn’t a religious person; he hadn’t lived an upstanding life. He was a cheater, a deceiver, a con man. But notice, Jesus knew his name. No matter where you are, no matter what you’ve done, God still knows you. He’s calling your name today. He still has a plan and purpose for you to become who He created you to be. Because Jesus could have said, «Hey, man up there in the tree! Hey, sir! Hey, fellow!» But He called him Zacchaeus. The name Zacchaeus means «pure one.» Jesus looked at this man, known for being dishonest, and on purpose called him «pure one.» The whole crowd was standing there in amazement, thinking He just called him pure. But God doesn’t call you who you are; He calls you who you can become.
Zacchaeus was up there in the tree to compensate for his shortness. He was up there looking impressive again, having the upper hand, keeping up his image. Now, even Jesus calls him by name; he’s feeling good. Then Jesus said, «Zacchaeus, come down out of that tree; I want to go to your house and have dinner.» He was both excited and terrified. If he comes down from the tree, everyone will see how short he is. The tree was up for his lack of height, something that he could use to hide his weakness in. As long as he’s in the tree, he looks important; nobody can see the real Zacchaeus up there. But God is not going to bless the pretend version of you. He’s not going to favor the fake version.
Jesus said, in effect, «Zacchaeus, I want to turn things around. I want to free you from those bad habits, but as long as you’re in the tree pretending everything looks okay, covering the real you, I can’t help you. But if you’ll come down from that tree, if you’ll be okay with being short, then I’ll lift you up for your shortness. I’ll heal you. I’ll free you.»
Anything we have to make up for our shortness is our tree. «I gotta work hard, get my 14th degree to prove that I’m valuable.» That’s a tree. «I gotta look impressive to make up for my insecurity.» That’s a tree. God is saying to us what He said to Zacchaeus: if you’ll come down from that tree, if you’ll quit pretending, hiding, wearing a mask, and bring it into the light, then I’ll change anything that’s holding you back. There’s great power waiting for you, great favor, and great deliverance, but it shows up in the weakness. When you’re willing to get honest and come down from that tree, God will step in and do what you can’t do. He’s not going to find fault. Zacchaeus was a cheater; he deceived people. One version said he was scum. Yet Jesus called him pure. There is no condemnation when you come to our God. Come down out of that tree. The pride, the insecurity, the struggle you can’t tell anyone about—you can tell God. You don’t have to live wearing a mask, covering things up. You can be real. There’s power in authenticity.
Zacchaeus was up there, torn between two worlds. «If I come down, if I’m honest, if I quit pretending, what will people think?» The enemy was whispering, «Zacchaeus, you better stay up here! You’re going to look bad; it’s going to ruin your image; you may lose some business.» God will never ask you to do something and not give you the power to do it. Zacchaeus dug down deep and said, «Alright, I’m coming down.» He got to Jesus and admitted that he had done wrong. He said, «I’ve cheated people, but from now on, I’m going to pay them back four times what I’ve taken.» He got it out in the open. Like Peter, when he said, «I’m a sinner; I’ve made mistakes.» When you come into the light, there’s freedom. There’s breakthroughs. Jesus looked at him and said, «Zacchaeus, today salvation has come to your home.» That day, he was changed and forgiven; he left a new man.
Is there a tree you’re in today to make up for what you don’t have? To hide your shortcomings? As long as you’re in that tree, your image is good; you look impressive. Nobody will see your shortness. What I’m saying is it’s okay to be short. We’re all short in some way. But the people that don’t let their shortness stop them are the people that come down from the tree and come into the light. The people that take off the mask, that don’t try to hide things but go to God with unveiled faces—that’s when you’ll see the glory of God. His strength shows up the greatest in our weakness.
The enemy would love for us to go through life hiding what we’re struggling with. Don’t fall into that trap. There is power to break any addiction, power to free you from compromise, power like Peter to turn you into a rock that will impact your family line. I’m asking you to be the authentic you, not the fake you, not the pretend you. Get rid of those masks and stay in the light. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare that, like Zacchaeus, today salvation is coming to your home: deliverance, freedom, healing, breakthroughs, and the fullness of your destiny. In Jesus' name.