CoSMI - 1.0.1.07 - Authenticity - Know Yourself - friends

CoSMI - 1.0.1.07 - Authenticity - Know Yourself - friends

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

But you don't have to rely entirely upon yourself.  You don't have to sit in silence forever, waiting to figure yourself out.  There are people who can help you.

Your family.  Your friends.

Ask them.  Now, I say "them," advisedly.  Don't just ask one friend.  Ask multiple friends.  Ask your friends who you are.  Ask your family who you are.  Friends may be slightly more reliable than family.  Family, in particular parents, pretty automatically have certain things that they want you to be.  They may be aware of this, and they may fight against it, but they do have things that they would prefer that you be, rather than certain other things.  Sometimes your family, and even your parents, can fight their way past their expectations, and give you an honest assessment.  So ask them.  Take their answers with a little bit of salt, but they are the people who know you best: who live with you for the most time.

So ask your family and friends.  Ask acquaintances.  Ask people who have only known you for a short time, and ask them what kind of a first impression you make.  Since you intend to be an influencer on social media, there are going to be an awful lot of people who encounter you for the first time, and it's very valuable to know how you come across to people who don't know you very well.

Ask if you are a serious person.  If you are a funny person.  If you are a thoughtful person.  If you are a reliable person.  Ask all of these questions about yourself.  About how other people see you.  (I should note that this should not be the only topic of conversation: you should ask about the other person for a good amount of the time that you spent talking with them.  It's only fair.)

If you have aspirations to be an influencer, you probably have some idea of what an influencer should be.  And you probably hope that you have some of the characteristics of an influencer.  So there are things that you hope that you are, that your friends may not identify in you.  In fact, they may say that, no, this characteristic that you consider to be very important for an influencer is not present in your character at all.

Do not panic.  And, in terms of panicking, do not immediately try to create this characteristic within yourself.  Do not try to learn how to present yourself in such a way that it appears that you have this characteristic, whether you have this characteristic or not.  That is not going to be successful.  There is the old joke about sincerity being vitally important, and once you can fake sincerity you've got it made.  But it's a joke.  It is not career advice.

The thing is, if you don't have that characteristic, well, you don't have that characteristic.  There is no point in trying to fake it.  If you do try to fake it, you will come across as inauthentic.  It may take a while for people to see through you, but, the longer it takes, the more they will turn against you when they finally realize that you have, essentially, been lying to them all along.  So don't try to fake it.

But the other part of not panicking is, you may be wrong.  You may be wrong in that this characteristic, that you think is vitally important to an influencer, may not be all that important at all.  It may not be a significant factor in the success of any given social media influencer.  So just keep on doing your best, and presenting yourself authentically, and your authenticity will probably outweigh the lack of whatever characteristic you think you should have, and you don't have.

The other way that you may be wrong is, well, your friends and family might be wrong.  You may have this characteristic, only not to a major extent.  You may have this characteristic as an underlying component of your personality.  And, when it becomes important, if you remain authentic, if you remain honest, and present what you know to be your true self, then that characteristic will come to the fore when it is needed.

CoSMI series:

Previous: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10106-authenticity-know-yourself.html

Introduction and ToC: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html

Next: TBA

CoSMI - 1.0.1.06 - Authenticity - Know Yourself (part 2)

CoSMI - 1.0.1.06 - Authenticity - Know Yourself (part 2)

Psalm 139:1

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

As I say, not all of you will be afraid of this.  But, some of you might find it very frightening.  Why is it that you find the silence so frightening?

In fact, we do find silence frightening, very often.  We are used to the constant noise distraction that the world throws at us.  The police understand that silence is frightening.  This is why, when they questioning suspects, they sometimes simply sit in silence.  They know that the silence is more terrifying than any threats that they can make, and they know that, if they wait in silence, then, in order to fill the silence, the suspects may start talking, and may say a lot more than they intended to.

But this is, perhaps, a little bit distant from your situation as an influencer in social media.  So, why do you find silence so frightening?

Is it possibly because you are used to the world telling you who and what you are?  Is it possible that you are used to the fact that the world is constantly whispering who you are, what you want, what you need, and all kinds of other information.  And if that information is gone, even if it is disinformation, do you really exist?  Maybe that is the frightening question or the frightening part of the question?

If so, we can address that problem.  It isn't really a problem.  If you sit and wait, and don't allow yourself to be frightened, you will start to feel who you are.  You will start, I grant, very slowly, to feel what it is that you want, rather than what the world wants you to want.  You will start to realize your own ideas, rather than the opinions that the world would like you to have.  Don't let the initial fear terrify you.  This will pass.  Unplugged from the world, even if only for a little while, you will start to realize who you are.  You will start to know yourself.

CoSMI series:

Previous: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10105-authenticity-know-yourself.html

Introduction and ToC: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html

Next: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10107-authenticity-know-yourself.html

CoSMI - 1.0.1.05 - Authenticity - Know Yourself (part 1)

CoSMI - 1.0.1.05 - Authenticity - Know Yourself (part 1)

Psalm 26:2

Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind

In the first sermon in the related series on social media influencing, I opened with an endorsement of authenticity.  And got an immediate response asking how one can be authentic on social media.

So I guess I have to back up a bit, and start earlier in the process.

To be authentic is to be true to yourself.  Which then begs the question of how to be true to yourself.  So the first step is obvious: know yourself.

At least it is obvious to *me*.  The thing is, I'm really old, and I have more than seven decades of experience at this.  Maybe it isn't obvious to those who haven't spent as long at it.  They might think that they already know themselves.  Or, they may have taken the first step, and realized that they don't really know themselves.

And you never really *do* know yourself.  Not completely.  It is a life long process.  Mostly because it is hard.  Secondly because you keep on changing, and, every time you change, you have to unlearn something about yourself that you thought was correct, and relearn the new bit.

Another reason that it is hard to know yourself is that the world keeps on blaring noise at you, and particularly about who and what you are.  And often this noise is quite wrong.  The world has reasons for feeding you this misinformation.  The world wants you to buy things, so it tells you that you need them, or want them.  Maybe you do, but very often you don't.  But the world keeps on repeating the message that you do, so it's hard to decide what is truly you.

A first step, although not necessarily *the* first step, is to cut out the noise and distractions, as much as you can.  Some people suggest that meditation is a good start, but an awful lot of the people who are promoting meditation are also trying to sell you something, so I'm going to suggest something that is even simpler.  Just sit in the quiet for a while.  Turn off the TV.  Turn off the radio.  Turn off the social media.  Turn off the ringer on your phone, or, better yet, turn off your phone for a while.  Don't be afraid of missing out: believe me, social media will still be there when you get back.

Don't think that you are going to get some kind of inspired insight on the first try.  Believe me, the first time you try this, it may terrify you.  As a matter of fact, for an inspired insight, that's not too bad.  The realization that just simply sitting, by yourself, in the quiet, without the world constantly bombarding you with messages, is terrifying.  Just think about that for a minute.  What is so frightening about that?

At any rate, this is going to take a while.  You are going to have to try it a number of times.  Each time, finding a little bit more about yourself.  How do you feel?  Why are you feeling that way?  What does this teach you about yourself?

And this is only a first step.

CoSMI series:

Introduction and ToC: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html

Next: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10106-authenticity-know-yourself.html

CoSMI - 1.0.0.02 - Can a Christian Be an Influencer part 1

CoSMI - 1.0.0.02 - Can a Christian Be an Influencer part 1

Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

In trying to prepare sermons for this particular series, I have had reactions from different people that this is impossible.  It is impossible, inherently impossible, for a Christian to be an influencer.

Obviously I don't agree with this position, but I think it's important to address the points that these people have made.

Jesus said that in order to follow him, we have to deny ourselves.  Paul says to the Philippians that they should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  I think those who feel that it is inherently impossible for a Christian to be an influencer see influencers as primarily self-centred.  Not necessarily solely selfish, but definitely centred on themselves.  Their opinions, their reputation, their brand, and the way they present themselves to the world.  However, if that position is accurate, then it is impossible for a Christian to be an actor or a popular singer or really any position that puts them at center stage.  That would seem to include the position of a mass evangelist.  Was Billy Graham wrong in being an evangelist?  Was Mother Theresa wrong in trying to use her influence to advance the plight of the poor?

Most of us, in most denominations of Christianity, accept that we have a professional clergy and professional song leaders.  Therefore, we are having people who take center stage and do so on a regular basis and do it to the glory of God.  Gloria was a soloist.  She knew, from the age of twelve, that her voice was a gift from God and was to be used in God's service.  She frequently said that she considered God to be her booking agent.  When she was asked to sing, she always said yes.  She said that the requests came from God and that her voice was to be used in God's service.  She said that when she sang in Christian service, she always knew and felt strongly that there was at least one person in the audience who needed to hear that song.

So, can you be an influencer on social media if you are a Christian?  Can you be a Christian social media influencer, apart from trying to be a SMevangelist (social media evangelist)?

It would seem to me that we not only can, but that we must.  We are told to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Cyberspace is now part of our world.  Social media is part of cyberspace.  Therefore, it would be not merely careless, but negligent, to abandon cyberspace to those who are either opposed to, or apathetic about, Christianity.  There is a risk to us, to our faith, and to our character, so we must take precautions.  But, if this is our calling, we must go.

There is, of course, always a danger, as there is with any aspect of life.  Vanity and conceit cannot be allowed to rule, and it would seem that pride and overconfidence are definitely dangers and sins that are not merely present in any activity on social media, but particularly the province of those who have ambitions as influencers.  Envy is definitely one of the sins that is going to be associated with social media.  Anger is also a sin that is omnipresent in our current social media platforms.  Therefore, yes, there is a great deal of danger for anyone who has any ambitions to be an influencer on social media platforms.  But, as I have said, we may be negligent if we simply concede it to those who do not wish Christianity to thrive.

CoSMI: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html

CoSMI - 0.0.1.00 - introduction and table of contents

CoSMI - 0.0.1.00 - introduction and table of contents

Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Is it possible, as a Christian, to aspire to be a social media influencer, even in secular topic areas?  Is it inherently contradictory to have an ambition, as a Christian, in a field that is so completely self-centered?  What are the dangers and risks to your character and faith from such an ambition?  How can you ensure that you, yourself, remain authentic, and that your postings authentically reveal who you are?  Is admitting that you are a Christian going to damage your social media reputation or brand?  Is working as an influencer in social media going to damage your reputation as a Christian?  What do you have to watch out for in terms of your own topics and opinions in your social media work, in order to avoid damaging the reputation of Christianity?

Many people these days aspire to a job, and even a career, as an influencer in social media.  If you are a Christian, you have to ask yourself all of the questions above, and many, many more.  This series is going to attempt to address some of those questions, and assist in guiding those who wish to get into this particular field to do so safely.  Safely for you, your faith, your brand, and even, one might say, your immortal soul.

Topics and table of contents:

https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html (this one)

https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10002-can-christian-be-influencer.html

https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10105-authenticity-know-yourself.html

https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10106-authenticity-know-yourself.html

https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-10107-authenticity-know-yourself.html

CoSMI: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2026/05/cosmi-00100-introduction-and-table-of.html

Sermon - CoSMI - 1.0.0 - Can a Christian Be an Influencer part 1

Sermon - CoSMI - 1.0.0 - Can a Christian Be an Influencer part 1

1 Corinthians 12:4

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

In trying to prepare sermons for this particular series, I have had reactions from different people that this is impossible.  It is impossible, inherently impossible, for a Christian to be an influencer.

Obviously I don't agree with this position, but I think it's important to address the points that these people have made.

Jesus said that in order to follow him, we have to deny ourselves.  Paul says to the Philippians that they should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  I think those who feel that it is inherently impossible for a Christian to be an influencer see influencers as primarily self-centred.  Not necessarily solely selfish, but definitely centred on themselves.  Their opinions, their reputation, their brand, and the way they present themselves to the world.  However, if that position is accurate, then it is impossible for a Christian to be an actor or a popular singer or really any position that puts them at center stage.  That would seem to include the position of a mass evangelist.  Was Billy Graham wrong in being an evangelist?

As a matter of fact, in taking this position, it would seem to be the case that one could not be a preacher of any kind or a song leader.  And there are, after all, certain denominations who take that position.  Quakers, or the Society of Friends, do not have anyone at all leading their services.  The Brethren do not go quite this far, but they do not have professional ministry or those who lead the singing on a regular and professional basis.

But these groups are in the minority.  Most of us, in most denominations of Christianity, accept that we have a professional clergy and professional song leaders.  Therefore, we are having people who take center stage and do so on a regular basis and do it to the glory of God.  Gloria was a soloist.  She knew, from the age of twelve, that her voice was a gift from God and was to be used in God's service.  She frequently said that she considered God to be her booking agent.  When she was asked to sing, she always said yes.  She said that the requests came from God and that her voice was to be used in God's service.  She said that when she sang in Christian service, she always knew and felt strongly that there was at least one person in the audience who needed to hear that song.

So, can you be an influencer on social media if you are a Christian?  Can you be a Christian social media influencer, apart from trying to be a SMevangelist (social media evangelist)?

It would seem to me that we not only can, but that we must.  We are told to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Cyberspace is now part of our world.  Therefore, it would be not merely careless, but negligent, to abandon cyberspace to those who are either opposed to, or apathetic about, Christianity.

There is, of course, always a danger, as there is with any aspect of life.  Vanity and conceit cannot be allowed to rule, and it would seem that pride and overconfidence are definitely dangers and sins that are not merely present in any activity on social media, but particularly the province of those who have ambitions as influencers.  Envy is definitely one of the sins that is going to be associated with social media.  Anger is also a sin that is omnipresent in our current social media platforms.  Therefore, yes, there is a great deal of danger for anyone who has any ambitions to be an influencer on social media platforms.  But, as I have said, we may be negligent if we simply concede it to those who do not wish Christianity to thrive.

I have mentioned Billy Graham.  He very definitely achieved a very large measure of fame, and used that fame to influence people, and even politics.  The same can be said of Mother Teresa.  Of course, for every Billy Graham that we have, we can find a number of counter examples in televangelists who have achieved fame, and riches, and have then achieved notoriety, as they fell into sin.  There is a definite danger, and anyone who works in any area where fame and celebrity are part and parcel of the activity must beware of the dangers, and definitely take strong preventative action against them.

In regard to keeping yourself safe from the dangers of sin, in approaching the ambition to become a social media influencer, it would seem that the first and most effective preventative is honesty.  Be honest with those that you are influencing; your followers on social media.  But definitely be honest with yourself.  Are you doing this for the right reasons?  Are you willing for your reputation to suffer as a result of identifying yourself as a Christian?  Are you willing to trash or diminish your social media and influencer reputation in order to share the gospel with someone who hasn't heard it?  Are you willing for your influence, as an influencer, and your own celebrity to be secondary to your responsibility to follow what God would have you do, and say, rather than what may be popular on social media?

This issue of honesty is something that we have to examine very specifically in the next sermon, on authenticity.

Sermon - CoSMI - 1.1.7 - Can a Christian Be an Influencer part 2 - TBD

Sermons: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2023/09/sermons.html

Sermon 15 - Iisaak

Sermon 15 - Iisaak

Romans 13:7

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

I'm trying to learn the Nuu-chah-nulth language.  To learn a new language is not simply to learn vocabulary, syntax, and grammar.  The language, in many ways, carries the culture.  What words mean, and the emphasis and priority putting put on certain of those meanings, tells you a lot about the people who use that language.

I learned a new word recently.  It's called iisaak.  It means "respect."

But, as is usual, it doesn't just mean respect: it has other meanings as well.  Translating from one language to another is like that.  The word Naas, for example is the word for God, but it's also the word for creator, and it's also the word for sky, and it's also the word for heaven.  Multiple meanings for the same word, at least in terms of what we think a word should mean.

Anyway the word iisaak means respect.  But it also means observe.  And it also means appreciate.  And it also means to take wise and thoughtful action.  All in one word.

And, if you think about it, isn't that what respect is?  If we respect someone or something, do we not observe it?  Do we not note the behavior of the person that we respect, and even try and emulate it?  Do we not observe what they do and say, and learn what we can from it?

And if we respect someone, don't we appreciate them?  Don't we appreciate every minute we can spend with them?  Do we not resent when other people take their attention from us?

And taking wise and thoughtful action.  Isn't that in there as well?  If you respect someone, do not you consider your own actions in comparison with theirs?  Do we not try and emulate their thoughts, and their wisdom?

Kelly, who taught me this word, uses the variety of meanings to make a framework for conflict resolution.  And for dealing with a variety of problems.  I think it's an excellent idea.  For one thing, conflict resolution should always be based on respect.  But the additional meanings do allow you to build a framework, and a process, that can be very effective for resolving conflicts and problems: first observe, and make sure that you understand what the problem actually is; then appreciate the valid points on the other side; and then take wise and thoughtful action to resolve the issue.  I think it's a terrific framework.

And, of course, it also makes for a terrific sermon.  We need to respect God.  And that means that we need to observe, and appreciate, and take wise and thoughtful action with regard to God.

First off, we need to observe.  God has revealed himself to us in a variety of ways.  To begin with, there is God's word: the Bible, the scriptures.  We get to hear God speaking directly to us.  We get to hear, pretty plainly, what God wants to tell us.  How he expects us to act.  What it is that he expects of us.  And, of course, even within the scriptures, God has revealed  himself to us, very particularly, in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is a revelation, a very special revelation, for those of us who believe.  It is the most direct, personal, and plain revelation to the world.

But God reveals himself in all kinds of ways.  The heavens declare His handiworks.  The Earth is full of his glory.  The atheists like to raise the problem of pain as a proof for the non-existence of God.  The problem is, we say that God loves us, and that he is all powerful.  Well then, say the atheists, why does pain and suffering exist?  If God was good he would want his creatures to be happy, and yet there is suffering.  So, either God is not good, or he is not all powerful.  This is the problem of pain.  Well there are a number of answers to the problem of pain.  But the atheists have another problem: the problem of beauty.  If God doesn't exist why is the world so beautiful?  What is the purpose of having such amazing glory all around us for no particular reason?  Why is there an absolutely gorgeous sunset pretty much every day.  And, since I tend to be up most earlier than most of you, I can also tell you that the day starts off pretty much the same way: absolutely glorious.

And observe the provisions that God makes for us, and for every living creature as well.  God provides for us in so many ways; such prolific ways; such a variety of ways.  God takes care of us.  But there is such beauty in the universe!  The wonders of the orbits of electrons in the smallest atom and the structure of the cosmos overall like a giant soap foam, made up of galactic clusters.  Look at the smallest weed wildflower growing in your patch of lawn.  Consider how beautiful it is, just as it is.  And then take a lens, and look at it more closely.  Consider the structures in veining and the amazing design of the individual pedals themselves.  And then go even deeper, if you can find a powerful enough microscope, and consider the beauty and art that goes into the cells, and the channels that fluids flow through in order to nourish the plant and give it life.  And all of this beauty, that could have been just simply functional, for no particular reason at all.  At least no reason if there is no God who does not want us to see the beauty of his creation.  And all of this may be provided for one single planet of people: us.  All this amazing provision, just to keep us alive.  And entertained?

And do we appreciate it?  Do we appreciate the beauty, the grandeur, and the provisions?  Are we properly grateful for the fact that God keeps us alive minute by minute?  He maintains the world.  He maintains the universe.  He maintains us.  He feeds us.  He feeds everything, and in some weird and wonderful ways.  He provides us with life.  And then, even though we are ungrateful, and selfish, and disobedient, he saves us.  He provides salvation, as well as life.

Do we appreciate the beauty?  Do we appreciate the provision?  Do we appreciate that God, the creator of the entire universe, and any other universes that there are if you believe that there are other universes, wants to be your best friend?  Wants you to live with him forever?

Do we respect God enough to appreciate all that he has done for us?

And then there is the thoughtful and wise action.  Give thought to the respect that is due to God.  Give thought to all that we have to appreciate, which is provided by God.  And then, give thought to the fact that our respect for God, the appropriate respect for God, and our appreciation for all that he has done for us, must prompt us to action.  And that action must be thoughtful.  Yes, our appreciation may prompt us to throw our hands in the air and praise.  That is all well and good.  But is that all that we owe God?  Thoughtful action would indicate that we need to do something more for God.  Therefore, we need to determine, or at least try to determine, what it is that God would have us do.  What action God would have us take.

Fortunately, God has provided us some help in this regard.  He has given us his word, the bible, the scriptures.  He has shown you, oh man, what it is that he requires of you.  God has provided us the law.  God has provided us the words of the prophets.  God has provided us with stories and histories and wisdom, and even his son as an example for us as a rabbi for us, as a direct statement to us of what it is that we are to do.  And so, we should emulate that example.  We should look into those stories and give them careful thought, and then take action based on what we read there.  We need to take action.  We need to, as closely as we can, do, and act, in the way God would have us act.  This is the thoughtful action that we would take we need to take.

And we need to take action, rather than doing nothing.  Failing to take action is not wise.  But, in addition to action, and addition to giving thought to what actions to take, we need to study wisdom.  We need to be wise in our actions.  We need to give thought, we need to ponder wisdom, we need to ponder the words of God and consider and root them deeply into the way we work and the way we think, and we need to use that wisdom to guide our actions.  It is not enough simply to observe.  It is not enough simply to appreciate.  It is not enough to give thanks, no half matter how effusive.  And, it is not enough to take action, simply any action.  The action must be thoughtful, and the action must be wise.  And, given all that God has done for us, the wisdom must be the best that we can give.  The thought must be the best that we can give, so that the action is the best that we can give.  God deserves the best.  To do anything less is to lack respect for God.  To demonstrate a lack of respect for God.  To demonstrate that we have failed to show the proper respect for God.

Sermons: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2023/09/sermons.html