Be the Real You: 10 Bible Verses About Authenticity
Do you ever feel like you won’t fit in if you decide to be the real you? Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about authenticity. I’ll also share a story of a time when God taught me the power of being vulnerable and authentic.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you embrace yourself as God made you.
Let’s start by turning to God’s Word.
10 Bible Verses About Authenticity
God designs us each uniquely, and when we hide our true selves, we deprive the world of God’s gift.
Here’s what the Bible says about being authentic.
Bible Verses About Authenticity
1. Psalm 139:13-14 ESV
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
God formed you in your mother’s womb. He created you with passion and purposefulness. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I encourage you to soak in these words and repeat them until you begin to believe them. Hang these verses in a frame on your wall or write them on a note and hang them beside your bathroom mirror.
You will learn how to embrace yourself as you as when you consistently align your heart with what God says about you.
You can be authentic because you were made intentionally, to fulfill a purpose you alone can fulfill.
2. John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God demonstrated your value once and for all when he allowed his precious Son to die in your place. You are dear to him, so dear that Jesus would have gone to the cross if you were the only person on earth. Soak in this radical love today.
You can walk into any room and be your true self because you are God’s precious child. He loves you dearly, and you don’t need to earn the approval of others.
3. Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
You are so dear to God that he has numbered the hairs on your head.
He knows you better than you know yourself, and he cares for you deeply. Lean into this truth when you feel less-than.
4. Song of Solomon 4:1
Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful!
God’s love for you can be represented by the love a man has for his wife in a healthy, thriving marriage. As a husband looks at his wife and calls her beautiful, God looks at you and calls you beautiful.
When you are anchored in God’s endearing love for you, you will be free to be your true self.
5. Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
This verse states that you were created in the image of God. The next time you doubt your worth or experience critical thoughts about your worth, remind yourself that you were made in the image of the Living God.
More Bible Verses About Authenticity
6. 1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
God is a good Father. He loves you in the way a good dad loves his children. He believes in you, stands with you, and will never leave you.
You can have confidence in him because you are his child.
7. Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
God can never forget you. As a mother tenderly thinks of her nursing child, the child she sustains, God’s thoughts are always with you.
He wants to empower you to walk into challenging situations and be yourself because he is there with you.
Your authentic self is your gift to the world.
8. Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
God cherishes you. You are the apple of his eye and his treasured possession. He dearly loves you.
Think of the way you feel about a precious child in your life. God feels this way for you. His heart overflows with love for you.
Walk in this love.
He has called you to be a vessel of his love to others.
9. Song of Solomon 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his.
If you are a follower of Christ, you belong to him, and he belongs to you in the way a married couple belongs to one another.
Jesus is yours, and you are his. This is the truest part of your identity.
Soak in this and speak it until you believe it. When you believe it, you will be free to be your most authentic self.
10. Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God formed you in your mother’s womb with his hands. No part of you is hidden from him.
He also prepared good works for you to complete. Step into these assignments as you trust that God created you exactly as you were meant to be. Share this gift with the world. It is the gift God wants to offer through you.
Let’s now apply these Bible verses about authenticity to our lives. I invite you to join me in a moment when I had trouble being my real self, and I’ll share the lesson God taught me through it.
An Application of These Bible Verses About Authenticity
Last summer, I drove eight hours to attend a conference with a large group of talented female writers.
I walked into the hotel where I would be staying on a scorching July evening, and every woman in the foyer looked poised, gorgeous, and entirely put-together. I looked like I’d just run five miles and then hopped in the car and driven for eight straight hours.
Suddenly, I noticed the distance between the woman I sensed I ought to be and the woman I actually am. (Click here to read about this moment.)
Most of us have felt this way.
We walk into crowded rooms, and we wonder where we fit in or if we fit in at all.
When it came time for the conference to begin, I dressed up and made sure I fit in. No one would have known I was the sweaty woman sneaking up the stairwell an hour earlier.
How to Be the Real You
Late in the afternoon on the first day of the conference, I noticed that the women around me looked as tired as I felt. I saw it in their eyes, and I decided to take a risk.
When it was my turn to share my vision and my goals, I did talk about my writing and my vision. I also laughed and told those precious ladies I was tired.
A wave of relief swept over the beautiful faces as the other women talked about their exhaustion, as well. I told them about my writing failures as well as my triumphs. I offered those ladies the gift of sincerity.
In response, the other women opened up about their fears and hopes as well. We realized that none of us felt qualified to be there. Most of us assumed everyone was at least one step ahead of us. We were all just kind of hanging on, caught in the delicate space between the women we actually are and the women we think we should be.
Why do we do this?
Why do we ever think God calls us to show up and be anyone other than the women we actually are?
We walk into job interviews and social gatherings with shaking knees and sweating palms. We wonder if we measure up or belong.
Meanwhile, we were woven together by the Master Creator to fulfill the purposes he designated in advance for us. We won’t fulfill those purposes if we don’t learn how to be our authentic selves.
I walked away with many lessons that weekend. Among the most lasting was this: Be the real you, and you offer the world your greatest gift.
5 Reasons to Be the Real You
I carry these lessons with me as we delve into the next venture this summer.
When you learn to be the real you, you free others to be real as well.
Here are five reasons to show up and be authentic:
1. People don’t want to see your perfection; they want to see your authenticity.
Broken people want to spend time with other broken people. And let’s be real: We’re all broken.
Showing up with a facade of perfection might make you feel better about yourself. But it will also push people away.
We invite others to live honestly when we first live honestly ourselves.
2. Vulnerability is a gift.
How do you feel when you can tell someone is being totally real with you? Do you feel honored? Trusted?
Be vulnerable with the people in your life, and you offer a gift. You create a space where others feel safe to be vulnerable as well.
Be your authentic self, and you invite others to do the same.
3. Be the real you, and you open a doorway to true connection.
Do you want authentic relationships with others?
Let them see the real you.
Share your struggles, pain, and disappointment. We are called to carry one another’s burdens, but we can’t carry burdens we’re afraid to share.
4. Hiding your authentic self is exhausting.
Trying to be anyone other than the person God created you to be will wear you out faster than your fancy shoes wear blisters on your heels.
Do you want the energy to love well and invest in other people?
Don’t use your precious energy to try to fit in. Instead, use your energy to invest in others.
Don’t look for someone to make you feel loved and accepted when you walk into a crowded room. Instead, look for someone you can love.
5. Real strength isn’t wearing a mask; it’s showing up without your makeup.
I’ll never forget the day a friend showed up at our local moms’ group with no makeup and a loose T-shirt that probably belonged to her husband. This woman always wore cute clothes. I’d never seen her without smoky eyes and perfect hair.
Something about her willingness to arrive as she was gave us all a new sense of freedom.
She told us about her horrendous morning and silently invited every woman in the room to let her guard down.
We reached new depths of connection because one woman was brave enough to show up as her authentic self.
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Do you want to make an impact on the world? Offer the world the gift of your authentic self. You will touch hearts and change lives by creating space for others to be real as well.
If these Bible verses about authenticity blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotional eBooks below. Be blessed as you draw near to the King!
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
If these Bible verses about authenticity blessed you, I have a gift for you. God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
