Rewarding the Authentic You
Coming As You Are
Many of you have probably heard the phrase “Come as you are,” in Christian circles. Typically, it’s used in reference to those who feel unworthy of coming before God, due to their past—whether a felon, escort, clubber, or drunk. The idea is simple: don’t allow shame or your condition to stop you from walking into the house of the Lord. Well, as I have become more spiritually mature, this phrase has begun to hold new meaning. It’s not just about gaining acceptance despite your brokenness—it’s equally about belongingness because of your uniqueness; a true testament of God’s grace.
As a youth, it wasn’t atypical for these sorts of ideas to fly over my head. Because of that, I’d often rebel against any form of discipleship, because I thought it meant I had to become “preachy” or a version of myself that was “holier than thou,” which often felt too pretentious. I had already witnessed enough of what my current pastor, Dharius Daniels refers to as Second Way Living, so I thought it’d be best if I just kept my distance.
First Way - The Culture's Way
Second Way - The Church's Way
Third Way - The Kingdom's Way
Over time, I have since learned that God doesn’t want a watered down version of us. He doesn’t expect us to just bury our gifts, talents, personalities, or insights to fit the mold of church culture. He will only honor the most authentic version of us—which he created with intention before we were ever born.
Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Gifts for the Body
Scripture is clear that God distributed different gifts across His people, and each is valuable.
1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NIV) “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
1 Corinthians 12:12, 18–20, 27 (NIV) “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ… But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Romans 12:4–8 (NLT) “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Personally, I’ve come to realize that my style, charisma, and creativity aren’t random—they’re tools uniquely assigned by God to carry out a specific mission on Earth. And no matter how I look or what I’ve done, my gifts can be used and repurposed to build up the body of Christ.
One thing I love witnessing from Gen Z on forward is this collective embrace of their outward differences, while maintaining a shared appreciation and respect for their identity in Christ. And because of that, the doors of the church have swung wider to accommodate people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. I’m seeing more Christians than ever before, which means we have an even greater opportunity to spread the gospel.
John 4:23–24 (NIV) “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Becoming His Temple
So no matter what you do—whether you’re a musician, artist, athlete, or entrepreneur—God can use you. He’s not asking you to trade in your identity for a title in the church. He’s asking you to surrender it so He can refine it.
Your gifts, personality, style and voice—when surrendered to God—become ways of reflecting His image. You’re not just using your talents for the Kingdom; you’re becoming a living temple that shows others what His Spirit looks like in action, expressed through the uniqueness of you.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NIV) “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”