Becoming Who You Are

My dad once said, everybody is 3 people: who you are in public, who you are in private, and who you are in secret.

This profound revelation finds its origin from the great Colombian author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret, ” were his exactly words, as recorded in his biography.

I have pondered this idea for years and I believe the goal is to live the same life and be the same person that you are in public, in private and in secret. Spirit and character wise, this is, also known as, living a life of integrity.

Of course, you may be an accountant in public and a lover of your spouse in private and that is perfectly fine. But, perhaps the marriage is public and the lover is secret. Or, maybe you are addicted to drugs or pornography in secret. These are a problem. The church deacon “in public” should not be an alcoholic in private or secret. These are obvious issues and disconnects. Then, there are the subtle things.

Are you bold in your faith OR are you secretly Christian? Could be the reverse is true. You wear the cross, claim to be religious, but in private are anything but. This should not be. Blessings and curses should not come out of the same mouth! The three people in you and me need to come together and be one.

Sometimes there is confusion about who we should be; who we really are. My prayers is God show me who I am, knowing you created me and knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. Knowing the enemy is here to steal that precious identity. Many souls are fragmented, living double and triple lives in a sense. It’s not wholeness and God is a healer of broken things and the master builder of integrity.

For this reason, some secrets between you and God are, in fact, ok. It isn’t for everyone to know everything about us and it isn’t always sin. Sometimes it’s our past. Sometimes it’s present dark thoughts, momentary fears or deep doubts.

Intimacy with God is always encouraged.

He is the only one who can handle all of my information, everything about me all the time.