Is Nathan Being Authentic?

The funny thing is, my face is already all over social media. Pictures. Videos. Me laughing about something. So when I talk about letting myself be seen, I have to stop and think… what am I actually talking about?

Because clearly, you’ve seen me. Haha.

But something feels different when I’m sharing what matters most to me.

I’ve been using an AI avatar in my videos. It’s a creative tool, and I enjoy what we can do with it. I don’t think using an avatar automatically makes someone inauthentic. Being clear about what people are watching matters, though. And so does being honest with myself about why I’m using it.

Friends have encouraged me to bring more of my actual self onto the screen. And I want to.

Then I start thinking about the Nathan who giggles. Who laughs. Who might not come across as polished or serious as I imagine he should.

Will people want to listen to him?

Will they take what he’s saying seriously?

A casual picture or video feels different from looking into a camera and saying something I hope will matter. That’s where I start wondering whether the way I naturally speak, laugh, and carry myself is enough.

Part of what gets to me is whom I’m representing. I’m speaking about Jesus Christ and the power of His gospel. That matters deeply to me. I want to represent Him faithfully.

And the story I’m sharing includes who I was, who I am, and who I’m becoming. My past, present, and future. I’m still living this story while trying to find the words to share it.

Somewhere in that desire to handle it well, I can start putting pressure on myself to become a more impressive version of Nathan before I speak.

That brings me to the question underneath the question:

Do I believe I’m allowed to be seen as I am?

I believe in grace. I talk about grace. I’m still learning what it means to receive it in those ordinary places where I’m tempted to edit myself.

Can I speak with reverence and still laugh naturally? Can I share something meaningful while acknowledging how much I’m still learning?

I want to make room for that.

I’m also learning that authenticity and discretion belong together. I can be truthful about my life while being thoughtful about what I share, when I share it, and whom it might affect.

Some experiences need time. Some belong in a conversation with someone I trust. Some involve other people whose privacy deserves care, too.

Keeping those things private doesn’t make what I do share less genuine. But I want to examine the difference between protecting something personal and presenting a misleading picture of myself. Am I choosing privacy with care, or trying to appear as though I have no struggles?

I can say, “I’m still working through this,” without explaining every detail. I can speak honestly about grace without making every wound public.

That’s the kind of authenticity I want to practice: truthful in what I share, thoughtful about what I keep private, and careful with the people who are part of my story.

So, is Nathan being authentic?

I think part of answering that is being willing to examine these questions. The avatar can help me create. My hesitation can help me notice where I’m still afraid of being seen. Both can be true.

I’d like to bring more of myself into these reflections. My own face. My own voice. The person whose life is still being changed by the gospel he’s talking about.

I don’t have a perfected version of that person to introduce to you.

But I have this Nathan.

And when a giggle comes out, maybe I can let it stay.