Masks Off!

August 31, 2023

Masks Off!

Masks can be fun!  When I put on a mask, I can become something better than I am most other times. 

I can be strong, beautiful, and even delightful if I want.

I can be athletic, charming, and even likable if I want.

I can be funny, entertaining, and even interesting if I want.

Masks can be deceptive and devious, too!  I can become something more oppressive than I am most other times.  

I can be frightening, upsetting, and even dangerous if I want.

I can be peculiar, outlandish, and even abnormal if I want.  

I can be intimidating, controlling, and even menacing if I want.

When I was in elementary school, my brothers and I would wait until Halloween to put on our masks.  With great anticipation, we would go door-to-door collecting candy from our neighbors.  The problem was our neighbors always knew who we were.  Our masks were not all that good; they did not hide who we really were!

However, the older we get the more sophisticated our masks become.  Soon the neighbors no longer know who we really are.  With just a little success, we begin to wear other kinds of masks at other kinds of times.

Although our mask may not change our outward appearance all that much, we are still able to hide who we are on the inside.  The mask we wear allows people to see only what we want them to see.  The longer we wear our mask the more our authenticity is compromised.  Eventually, our true self is lost even to us.

It seems there are more and more people wearing masks. 

We wear the “success” mask when we are at work.

We wear the “spiritual” mask when we are with a Christian friend.

We wear the “strong” mask when we are hurting deep inside.

It seems there are more and more people wearing masks. 

We wear the mask of liking ourself when our self-worth is shattered.

We wear the mask of being accepted when gathered with family for Thanksgiving.

We wear the mask of forgiving another when we still harbor the hurt.

Masks often hide and disguise and deceive.  Wearing a mask hides our authentic self from others and sometimes from me.  Wearing a mask camouflages what is going inside me.  Wearing a mask may protect me from bullying, rejection, and fear.

At the same time, wearing a mask leads to loss, anxiety, and ultimately to depression.  While we put on a mask to avoid losing a relationship, losing our self-respect, or losing Jesus’ acceptance we end up loosing our self…our soul.

Maybe it is alright to admit we are hurting or we are sad or we are angry.  Maybe it is OK to let someone know that behind what they see in us is a person who needs acceptance, needs a place to belong, and needs forgiveness.  Maybe it is healthy to tell someone the truth about me; I need someone to love me for who I really am right now!

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul speaks about taking off our mask.  More specifically, Paul tells us that our lives will be transformed when we take off our mask and draw near to Jesus.

In II Corinthians 3:18 Paul writes; “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

When we “unveil” our face, we take off our mask.  When we remove the mask of what we do not want other people (and maybe Jesus!) to see, there is an opportunity for a real and deep transformation to occur in the very places we are trying to keep hidden.

The challenge is being vulnerable enough to take off our mask.  Can I take the “parent” mask off for a bit and just be a child of God?  Can I take the “perfection” mask off for a bit and just have the assurance of being forgiven?  Can I take the “got it all together” mask off for a bit and give my burden to Jesus?

Taking the mask off is not easy.  However, it is necessary for real and deep transformation in my life.  Paul tells us that when we unveil our face, the Holy Spirit will begin to transform us so we are more and more like Jesus.

When we experience the transformation that comes when we remove our mask, we will wear our mask less and less.  Eventually, we will become the person the Lord God has created us to be.  When we get a taste of the freedom and the transformation that comes when we remove our mask, our heart will be filled with delight for what the Spirit is doing in our life. 

Imagine what might happen if you took your mask off for a little while today.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug