He hid behind the tree and waited for just the right moment. Peeking around the side, he caught a glimpse of her getting out of the car and reaching for the groceries from the back seat. The night was still and the cool fall breeze chilled the air.  She pulled her sweater a little closer, as she clutched her house keys, being careful not to trip over the bike in the driveway. ‘Now’, he thought!
The shrill cry that followed splintered the night. Groceries flew everywhere! He rushed to help her pick them up, realizing, only too late, how much trouble he was in. ‘Mom, mom, it’s just me!’
It’s not surprising that on Halloween, it’s almost impossible to recognize your own child. Add the element of surprise to a Halloween mask and you’re sure to call 911!
Putting on a mask for a couple of hours on Halloween, might seem like harmless fun. I won’t even touch on whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween, because that’s a post for a different day. For now, we’ll just focus on the point that wearing a mask for Halloween is quite, well…typical. During Halloween you can be whomever you want to be if you find the right mask. No rules, just use your imagination and you’re a whole new person, unrecognizable even to your closest loved ones.
How strange would it seem if you saw someone wearing a Halloween mask in the middle of May? Or if someone wore a mask every day, all day, everywhere they went? We might laugh at the thought, but it’s really not that far-fetched. You see, Halloween and masquerade balls are not the only times we wear masks. In fact, some of us wear masks year-round.
We have no shortage of masks, but let’s take a look at three of the most common masks and how we can peel them off.
1. The mask of self-confidence
This is a very popular and well-sought after mask. It is so popular that if you were to try to purchase this one for Halloween it would probably be out of stock. It’s in high demand. Wearing this mask makes us feel powerful, confident and in control. And that’s just what we want, right?
2. The mask of self-reliance
This is another highly desirable mask. When you wear this one, you don’t need anyone else. You are self-sufficient and independent. When difficulties come, you don’t have to turn to anyone else. You can figure things out on your own. Or can you?
I recently read an article entitled, 6 Ways You Can Build Skills Without Asking Anyone for Help. It was written to employees encouraging them to take ownership of their personal development in order to advance their careers. Still, I couldn’t help but think how an article with a title like that must have attracted many readers. At last check it was shared 2,150 times from the Newsweek site alone! Our culture glorifies independence and we seem to think its a necessity in today’s world.
3. The mask of self-deception
This mask is probably one of the hardest to take off. In fact we may not even know that we’re wearing it at all. When wearing this mask we become so blind that we don’t even see ourselves clearly and sometimes we even forget who we were before the mask.
When I think of the mask of self-deception, it reminds me of the character Haman in the book of Esther. Haman had lofty goals. He wanted to be king. He was so busy trying to swindle his way to the top that he didn’t see his downfall happening right before him. As a result, the trap Haman set for his enemy was used for him instead. Ouch. What a fall!
So what’s the problem?
You might be thinking, ‘except for that last one, these masks don’t sound so bad after all’. Well here’s the problem: the thing about masks is that they offer a terrible lie. Masks trick us into believing that no one sees the real person beneath the mask, but this is just not true. More often than not, we are only fooling ourselves.
The reality is that we typically wear masks out of fear. Even when we start to get uncomfortable with our mask, we’re too afraid to take it off. We think, ‘if I let them see the real me, they won’t love me.’ Or, ‘they won’t like what they see and I can’t face that rejection.’ Lies, lies, lies.
The Father of Lies has tricked you into believing that no one will truly love you if you take off your mask. This is so far from the truth. The more you believe this lie, the further you alienate yourself from others, the happier Satan is. He wants you to feel all alone and stop you from finding your true identity in Christ.
These three masks also trick me into believing that:
- I don’t need God
- IÂ don’t need others
- Others don’t need meÂ
Some Mask-Lifting Truths
How can I beat these lies and embrace the real me? How can I finally stop hiding behind a mask? I think about Jesus in Luke 4:1-13. When He was tempted, Jesus combated Satan’s lies with the word of God. He found the strength to stand amidst very real temptations by relying on God’s word. That’s exactly what we must do in order to take off our masks and reject the lies Satan sold us.
To help us keep the masks off, here are some scriptures we can trust:
Jeremiah 1:5. The good news is that we have a Saviour who not only made us exactly the way we are, but He also loves us just the way we are. Knowing that He has a purpose that only I can fulfill makes me feel special and no longer like I need to be someone else.
Tweet ThisIt’s wonderful to know that God loves me unconditionally! With all of my flaws, all of my weaknesses, all of my shortcomings. He simply loves me! And because He does, I can be free to be the wonderful me He created. No more masks required!
2 Corinthians 3: 16-18. When we turn to God, we are free to be ourselves. By taking the mask off we are able to truly reflect God’s glory. Plus, He helps by transforming us daily, so we feel less and less tempted to put the mask back on.
Romans 8:37-39. Nothing that we do can separate us from God’s love. No matter how we might try to run away, He is still there loving us. It’s so amazing knowing that He gives us the power to overcome anything, including our insecurities.
Matthew 11: 28. Let’s face it, wearing a mask is burdensome. Pretending to be someone or something that we’re not, is quite tiring. We can find rest for our souls when we lay our masks before Christ. This freedom allows us to be ourselves around others and build deep and meaningful relationship where we can thrive.
So, what are you waiting for? Won’t you join me and take off your mask? I’m ready to let the real me shine through! What about you?
Your turn
What holds you back from being your true self? How can we help each other feel free to be ourselves? What scriptures encourage you to be the real you before God and others?
Oh, love this! “It’s wonderful to know that God loves me unconditionally! With all of my flaws, all of my weaknesses, all of my shortcomings. He simply loves me! And because He does, I can be free to be the wonderful me He created. No more masks required!”
GREAT post! Thanks for linking up with Grace & Truth this week!
God bless,
Jenn
Jenn, I’m so glad you stopped by and enjoyed it. The blessing really is in the freedom that comes when we get rid of those masks! May you be blessed, dear friend.
So good! Thanks for joining me on #livefreeThursday
Hi Suzie, I’ve been enjoying #livefreeThursday and I finally had a post that related to your writing prompt. 🙂 Glad to link up. Thanks for stopping by!
Very great points here! The key is recognizing the masks and removing them along with the fear that they are built out of! Brilliant!
So glad you liked it, Cara. It’s not easy getting to the root of those pesky masks and it takes a lot of determination to peel them off! Thankfully, we don’t have to do it on our own.
I pulled up to the gas station this morning and taped to the doors was, “No masks allowed inside the store. Have a great day!” So of course I smiled reading through your post. Sometimes our masks hide the vulnerable part of us. But it does us and the world around us good when we remove them. I heard a pastor once say.. He wondered what God thought looking at His children playing dress up on Sunday’s when He sees us all through out the week. Many things to think about a chew on. Thank you foe sharing! Be blessed always! Misty.
Misty, you made me laugh! It reminds us that our fake masks are really not welcomed and can hinder our interactions with others. And your pastor made a good point: God really does see us even when we think we’re hiding. Thanks for stopping by and sharing this!
Such interesting post for Halloween, indeed. I agree, these masks we wear can take a deeper toll on us and those that are around us, so we must learn to shed them and show our true self. The scriptures that you’ve provided are a great reminder that we are enough, no frills, no additions and certainly no masks. A very inspiring post, Marva. Thanks for sharing it on #Shinebloghop this week.
Have a lovely weekend!
How nice of you to stop by, Maria. I hope you’re enjoying your new co-host role at the Shine Blog Hop. I’m glad you enjoyed this post about masks. Thankfully we can put the masks aside and find acceptance just the as we are; a work in progress but dearly loved!
I love this article! I especially love that you hit on the mask of self-deception. I agree with you, this is the most difficult mask to remove. I have so many people in my life who don’t see themselves clearly, it’s like they are blind to the truth and fearful to even dare to look at what is on the inside. They have created a reality that they choose to live in and it is often far from truth. I have seen this so often, it has forced me to look inward at my own life for self-deception. Because we all believe lies to an extent. I will be sharing this with my social media followers today, beautifully written.
Hi Sarah, how very kind of you to share this with your friends. I pray that they, like you, will be blessed with the message. You’re a true friend by hanging in there with those who have yet to see their true selves. None of us are there yet, but we can journey together.
Amen! This post resonated with me to the core. I had been rotating these masks for years until my stroke. It is ONLY by God’s grace that I have renewed my relationship with Him and I have traded in my masks for His armor! Thank you for sharing this beautifully written post on Grace & Truth. What a poignant reminder of the traps of the enemy. May God bless you and yours . Have a wonderful weekend!
Horace, what a blessing it is that you chose God’s armour over the masks. I’m sure you’ve already found that He is indeed your ultimate protection. I look forward to following your story as it unfolds. Be blessed, my friend!
Mask lifting truth! I love that concept, and I especially love the way you identified those tricky masks we choose to put on. I’m SO self-reliant that it’s hard for me to accept help, but yesterday, with bronchitis and a ton of work to do here at home, I received the blessing of dinner provided by dear friends. It was a challenge to accept, but I ended up being thankful that I let my “mask” be lifted by their kindness.
Oh, Michele! What a blessing that was. When we choose to be vulnerable, God shows up in amazing ways — in this case, dinner when you needed it! I love that! I’m so glad the blessings went well beyond that simple act of kindness to show you God’s grace. I hope you feel better soon.
I really loved this! I can’t help but think of my son’s knight costume as he’s telling me his helmet keeps falling over his face. You are so right! Masks are always uncomfortable. What wonderful examples of the masks we wear. Thank you for linking up at #100happydays!
Hi Valerie, I hope he can manage to get that helmet to stay on. As for the rest of us, no masks are required! 🙂 So glad you could stop by!
Great points! I have worn all those masks at different times. I love how you tied it into the season. It’s relevant in so many ways!
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for visiting! I’m so glad you liked it. I just stopped by and loved your ‘Made to Shine’ post. Hope we can ‘meet’ again soon!
Love this! Thanks for joining us at #100HappyDays
Thanks for stopping by, Kate. I’ve been enjoying #100HappyDays and all the fun posts. Thanks for being such a great party hostess! 😉
Nothing like being yourself with all the weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It’s also very hard to do this, mostly because of fear. Perhaps we can do this with other people, but God already knows us pimples and all. So I don’t need to hide from Him. Just like Adam and Eve with the covering of leaves, it doesn’t cut it.
Thanks for stopping by Debbie! You’re so right, we’re usually just fooling ourselves, no one else. I love the point you made about Adam and Eve. You’d think we would’ve learned by now. 🙂
Marva this is so good. We don’t think of “self” as wearing a mask, but for those of us in Christ our “self” masks are a problem. I love the way you pulled it apart and gave applicable solutions. Thanks for this great reminder and blessing!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Deb! For sure it’s those ‘self’ masks that will do us in if we don’t stay strong in Christ. So glad we can help each other along the way.
Marva, I so needed this. I have wore all of these masks and even been known to stack them on top of each other. We won’t go into the deep rooted lies that I believe but I know that God is working to free me. Thanks for your reminder that what I’m hearing are lies.
My dear Ona, you are so correct, they are all big fat lies! Let’s pray for each other, that we hide God’s truth in our hearts and freely enjoy His grace. You are perfect just the way you are, my friend. No need for masks around here!
This is so good, Marva!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Glad you liked it Stefani! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!