Here's a tale that is all too familiar to me. I'm guilty of not being who I am so that I can fit into my circumstances and surroundings. But as creatives and storytellers, Bianca Juarez-Olthoff quotes her father as he urges us to "be who you is."

blog: Outspoken book
To celebrate the release of Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication, we are reviewing different essays from the book in a series of  blog posts. Win a free copy of the book by leaving a comment on one of the posts. One winner will be chosen at random and announced Wednesday!

Adam's thoughts on: 
"Be Who You Is" by Bianca Juarez-Olthoff

Bianca Juarez-Olthoff tells a tale that is all too familiar to me. I'm guilty of not being who I am so that I can fit into my circumstances and surroundings. But as creatives and storytellers, Juarez-Olthoff quotes her father as he urges us to "be who you is."

I struggle with this as I continue to grow in Christ. There are days that I feel the pressure of who my family wants me to be, who my friends want me to be, who my church wants me to be, who my boss wants me to be ... And, if I'm not careful, I forget who I am. Or, better yet, I lose sight of who God wants me to be.

At the lowest points, I find my value and identity in the wrong places: how educated I think am, how funny I think am, how many Facebook friends I have. And I have totally missed the point. God is my value. God is my identity. God is "who I is."

Juarez-Olthoff states it brilliantly: "As creators, artists, storytellers and agents of change, we're designed to reflect the uniqueness of our creator. The acceptance we long for can only be found in the one who purposed our lives to reflect a divine plan."

So, this is your official reminder. Be who God created you to be. Be who you is!

Get your copy of Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication today at Amazon.com.