April 19 – The True Self: Who We Are in God
The True Self is who you are in God and who God is in you. You do not need to construct it; it is already given. Richard Rohr
Gregg’s Reflection
Over the years, I’ve noticed how much energy I’ve spent trying to be the person I thought others wanted me to be. In business, that meant projecting confidence and competence at all times. In ministry, it meant trying to look like the “right kind” of spiritual leader. Those efforts often left me tired, restless, and unsure who I really was underneath it all.
The True Self is who we are in God, untouched by our mistakes or our trophies. It’s the self that existed before we did a single thing to earn love, and it will remain when all the titles and possessions fall away. My journey into discovering the True Self has been slow and often uncomfortable. Letting go of the False Self feels like losing control, but it’s really gaining freedom.
When I live from my True Self, there’s a lightness to life. My worth isn’t up for negotiation, my identity isn’t on trial, and I don’t have to keep up the exhausting work of image maintenance. I can offer myself to others without needing something back, and I can be present to God without fear of judgment. This is what Jesus meant by losing our life to find it.
Scripture
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1
Ancient Quotes
Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know Thee.
St. Augustine, Soliloquies, I.1
Modern Quotes
The True Self is who you are in God and who God is in you. You do not need to construct it; it is already given.
Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond, p. 13
God’s dream for you is not success as the world defines it, but the joy of living in your true identity.
Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved, p. 54
The spiritual journey is not about becoming something you are not, but about becoming who you truly are.
Paula D’Arcy, Gift of the Red Bird, p. 58
Journaling Prompts
- In what ways have you tried to create an identity to win approval or avoid rejection?
- How does it feel to consider that your truest identity was given before you achieved anything?
- What practices help you reconnect with the part of you that is already beloved by God?
- What would living from your True Self change about your relationships or work?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 16 Reflection: False Self/True Self