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PROGRAM D-8292
How often have you heard this saying: To thine own self be true? That sounds like it might come from the Bible. However, I’m pointing out five things the Bible does not say, and this is definitely one of them! This is actually a quote from Polonius in the Shakespearean play, Hamlet.
It sounds nice, doesn’t it? This is the kind of saying that appeals to us because it makes us feel good about ourselves. It appeals to my self-esteem—Be true to yourself, Mary, because your “self” is a good thing. I could use this saying to validate my selfishness and self-centeredness. I could use it to justify my unbiblical bad habits or lifestyle. After all, I tell myself, I’m being true to myself.
Everything I read in Scripture tells me that my “self” is primarily my biggest problem. It teaches me that self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit and because the Holy Spirit resides in me by faith in Christ, it should be evidenced in controlling my “self,” not being true to myself. If you are always “true to yourself,” you will be making decisions and choices based upon what you want. The Bible tells us that we are by nature and by choice prone to selfishness and greed.
Jeremiah 17:9 tells me that “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Being true to my heart—if it is not controlled by God’s Spirit—would mean being true to a heart that deceives me and makes me think I’m good when I’m not. A lot of ungodly “stuff” can reside in my heart—and in yours.
For example, your heart is the place where resentment and bitterness take root and cause you all kinds of trouble. It is where pride, envy, and jealousy all start to grow. Being true to your self—or your inner person, your heart—could cause you much grief and confusion. Your self, on its own without being transformed by God, is not trustworthy. I wouldn’t advise you to be true to yourself.
But I would challenge you to be true to Jesus. Consistently and intentionally devote time and effort to know Jesus. Follow this prayer from Bishop Chichester in 1253: “To see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.”
Don’t let Shakespeare’s poetic saying—To thine own self be true—blind you to the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and he is the truth that will never fail you or disappoint you. To Jesus be true.