Lie: I need to hide the real me behind a mask because no one would really love me if the knew me.
Truth: God loves you and accepts you as you are.
“Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”
Psalm 51:6
Have you ever worn the “It’s all good mask” when it really isn’t? We all put that one on sometimes, but it’s worse is when we wear the mask constantly. We hide who we truly are out of fear of what people may think or say. We agree with what others say even though we really don’t. We wear what everyone else is wearing but it makes us feel uncomfortable. We drink, smoke, and dabble in things we never imagined ourselves doing all for the sake of fitting in, being accepted and being loved.
I wore the mask for the longest of time, always pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Thinking that I would be more popular and well-liked if I followed the crowd. If I was to watch a replay of my life, I can slow it down to a still shot when I was just 6 or 7. That moment I first wore the mask and got away with it. That was the first time I compromised my authenticity to hide what was really going on inside. I was afraid.
It really wasn’t until God entered my life that I began to realise I had been wearing a mask. It had just become comfortable, easier somehow. But that was a lie. It was burdensome, heavy and beginning to crack.
The beauty of this story is that of a God who loved me anyway. He saw my entire life, but not just the outer performance but the inner person. He saw, accepted me just as I was…broken, messy, not knowing who I really was…He spoke healing words so gently, lovingly and mercifully into my life. He never forced it or even required it of me. He simply loved me as I was. However, the more I got to know God I knew that He offered fullness of life and freedom from all things that held me captive. As I yielded to His leading He worked within me. In our secret time together He revealed and spoke beautiful words about who I truly was and one day I became free…free from the mask…free to be me!
Let me share this with you from Author and Theologian Thomas Merton:
“God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please. We are at liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours. We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face…
To work out our identity in God, which the Bible calls, “working out our salvation,” is a labour that requires sacrifice and anguish, risk and many tears…We do not know clearly beforehand what the result of this work will be, the secret of my full identity is hidden in Him.”
– Essential Writings, 2000.
Can I encourage you today to get on your knees before God and invite Him to help you find the real you. The one that is far lovelier, than the one the world would have you believe need to be. You are so loved, accepted and purposed for great things. Trust Him today. He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
Much love,
Carly xox
