Walk the Walk: Mary Mary on Being the You God Intended

Being your authentic self — “you” — has more to do with the strength God puts in our hearts than it does with how we look on the outside. It’s all about seeing ourselves as God sees us; beautiful, forgiven, cherished and loved. As we have grown in our faith and womanliness, we have found that the recipe for developing and flourishing requires the following ingredients:

BE HONEST: We’re big on honesty. With each other, with our family and friends, and with the world. The Tina and Erica you see on stage are the real Tina and Erica, not some manufactured image. We believe honesty is the way to go. Life works better when you tell the truth, to yourself and to everybody else, especially to God, because He knows it all anyway. You won’t be fooling Him!
 
BE BEAUTIFUL: Not the way the world measures beauty, but on the inside, where it really counts. A woman who fears and trusts her maker is a beautiful woman. She knows what’s going to last and what’s worth striving for. She blesses others and isn’t just out for herself. That kind of beauty isn’t about your clothes or your hair or your jean size. It’s about loving and living well; the kind of beauty that never fades.
 
BE INTENTIONAL: Don’t be someone who just lets life happen to you and blames others when things don’t go your way. Decide what matters most to you, get up and pursue it. Go after your dreams. Work hard. Even when you can’t change your circumstances, you can change your attitude. You and God together can make something beautiful of your life. When you move out, just make sure you’re following Him!
 
BE STRONG: It’s all about accessorizing, right?  The right pair of shoes, a belt that pulls your outfit together, and maybe even a hat that sets you apart from the others. That’s what God’s talking about in Ephesians 6, when He tells us how to be strong. But His armor is not intended to impress others; His armor/wardrobe makes you strong. Strong in your convictions, strong enough to do the right thing and strong enough to be the You God created you to be.
 
BE YOU: It’s no fun to live your life pretending to be someone you’re not. If you’re always putting on an act, you’ll never be sure of what you’ve got. It’s better to be 100 percent YOU than an imitation of anybody else (even a good one!). God knew what he was doing when He made you, and He doesn’t make mistakes. Take the time to discover your gifts, your heart’s desires, your dreams and goals. Then be fully completely, gratefully and joyfully and authentically YOU!
 
Be Honest, Be Beautiful, Be Intentional, Be Strong… Be You!
 
From our hearts to yours…
Erica & Tina
Mary Mary