You know you’re finally mature enough to be yourself when …

So much of our lives are spent trying to live up to the likes of others, to be who others think we should be.

As children, we aspire to be that little person that makes our parents proud …

As teens, we can get lost in a world of trying to please everyone so we can fit in somewhere …

And even as adults, we can try to keep up with and be like the “Joneses,” or whoever our boss, or coworkers, or friends, or any number of people influential in our lives say we should be.

How do you know when you finally mature enough in life — regardless of age — that you’re free enough to just be yourself?

When you’re comfortable buying the silly hat you’ve always secretly liked.

You probably know what I mean.

I’ve always liked hats. From the round hat with a bill that Calvary soldiers wore, or a skipper’s hat with an anchor on it, cowboy hats, ball caps … all kinds of hats.

But it seems like for many of us, there was always some hat we really, really liked but never bought, never wore, just because we thought others would think we would look silly wearing it.

There are three times that I know of when we’re free enough, or mature enough, to finally freely wear the silly hat …

The first is when we’re very young, too young to even understand others might think we look silly. That’s when we’re young enough to enjoy silly … and silly hats!

The second time is when we’re old enough to just not care what others think about our choice of hats, or much of anything else. We’ve matured enough to own our own decisions and not be bothered if someone is nosy enough to think they have a right to an opinion about our choices …

The third time?

The third time can be at any age when you realize you are utterly and completely free in Christ. You have surrendered to Him, He has saved you, and you simply could not be more free. No judgment of man phases that freedom. People can laugh, mock, jeer, or curse you … you’re still free.

Free enough, mature enough in Christ, to go ahead and buy and wear that silly hat.

For those of you who aren’t fans of hats, maybe you’ll relate better to the story about a twelve-year-old boy who accidentally killed one of his family’s geese by throwing a stone. Figuring his parents wouldn’t notice one of 24 gone, he buried it. His sister saw his crime and said, “I saw what you did, and if you don’t wash the dishes for me, I’ll tell mom.”

The boy did the dishes for days.

One day the boy was fed up washing dishes and said to his sister, “You do them.”

His sister said, “I’ll tell mom.”

The boy replied, “I already told her and she forgave me – I’m free again.”

Just how free are you? Enough to buy the silly hat?

Scotty