Mask Off

I cried every day for a year. Behind the scenes, my life was falling apart. I was able to keep up a positive facade, but no one knew the levels of despair I experienced behind closed doors. Have you ever been there? 

What is a mask? The dictionary defines it as a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal (or hide) one’s identity. Masks come in many forms, but they can only cover up so much. 

Which mask are you wearing? 

It’s time to identify what you have been using to hide yourself. What is it? What are you hiding behind? Is it your make-up, education, status, career, social media persona, or religion? 

Often, when we are hiding ourselves from those around us, we are also hiding ourselves from God. 

We put up fronts like we are not hurting or that we are not in need and all the while God, our Father, is bidding us to come to Him. 

He knows.

Unlike man, God has sight beyond our natural vision and He is not impressed by our masterfully designed masks. You know the ones that people compliment and praise. He sees past all of that to the truth of who we really are. He sees through to our hearts. 

…People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

I Samuel 16:7 NIV

Friend, you cannot outrun God.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.

Psalm 139:7-8 NIV

Like a parent who knows their child, God knows what we are facing before we utter a word. He knows that you worry about how people will react when they truly see you. He knows that you are ashamed of your story. He knows that you long to be fully known and seen by those around you, but you wrestle with letting your guard down. He knows that you are afraid. 

He knows it all. But here’s the thing…

We cannot be known and fully loved by people until we unmask ourselves before our Creator. It is better to reveal ourselves to God, than be exposed by force.

…You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known…

Luke 12:1-3 MSG

It’s time to stop hiding.

Get undisguised, plain, unadorned, blatant, unveiled, and uncovered before God. Get naked. He wants to see it all and He can handle it. Show Him your hurt, your shame, your disappointment, your joy, your longings, your struggles, your anger…EVERYTHING.

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis 2:25 NIV

Watch what happened when sin entered the picture…

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.So, they sewed fig leaves together to coverthemselves.

 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the manand his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord Godamong the trees. 

Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

Genesis 3:7-11 NLT

I do not believe it was a coincidence that Adam and Eve were physically naked prior to sin. Their physical nakedness is an illustration of the emotional nakedness we should have with God. We can learn a great deal from them. Unlike, Adam and Eve, who chose to run from God. Daily, we can choose to run to God.

God heals what we reveal.You may ask, “How do I get the courage to tell God what I am really facing?”

Here are some practical tips to get you started.

Receive the healing of God.

Now you guys know I could not leave you without giving you a brief illustration. 

Meet Bill. Bill has minor injuries all over his body from a biking accident. Bill is ashamed because he fell off his bike. Instead of going to the doctor, he covers his wounds with bandages and flesh tone concealers. Over time, his wounds become infected. 

One night, Bill is invited to a friend’s home for dinner. As he sits down at the table, his pain becomes unbearable and he passes out in front of all of the guests. 

Despite his best efforts to hide his injuries, his wounds are discovered. 

His friends rush him to the hospital. Upon Bill’s arrival, his doctor gently says, “I wish you had come to see me sooner. I would have been happy to treat you. Your injury was minor, but now it will take longer to heal.” 

Friends, hidden wounds fester. 

Bill’s condition is much like ours. We have areas that we have masked for a long time and our condition is worsening the longer we wait to reach out for help. Like Bill, we also have a Doctor who is willing and able to help us. He simply asks that we come in for a visit. Will the visit require that we confront what we have been hiding from? Yes. Will healing take time? Yes. Will we walk away better? Absolutely. 

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” 

Mark 2:17 NIV

Big hugs, 

Ayanna