Let Down Your Mask
Behind every mask there is a story. A mask tells more about a person than a face does. Sometimes a mask is a facade, it conceals our true selves and shows the part of us we want people to see. A thick beard can be a mask stating "I am a man now", bold makeup can be a shout for attention. These things are not bad in themselves, but the question is what are you saying or hiding behind these masks? Sometimes, the prettiest smiles hide the deepest pain, the loudest voices can be compensating for insecurities, and flamboyant fashion can camouflage for deeply rooted feelings of shame or inadequacy.
But for us Christians, our new life does not need any masks. Christ has torn all of that away. We can't be in Christ and feel the need to hide anything. He is light and we are light. His light shines through and banishes all our dark secrets, consumes our stories of shame and invades every secret addiction.
We are not called to project who we are or who we are not. We are simply called to reflect Christ. We are not called to hide our shame, but to leave them on display at the foot of the Cross. Our job is to focus on our Father's business and let him do the fixing. Focus on Christ in you and not your struggles.
Masks at first might seem like the easy way out but before long, you will realize how much energy you need to keep up the false mask. Masks will wear you out and rob you of the freedom you have in Christ. An essential part of the Christian experience is unmasking our false identities and illusions of ourselves and holding onto God’s report of us. The beauty of the Christian life is authenticity and realness. The beauty of Christianity is that what you see inside is what you see outside, no shady corners or fences in between. This quality of realness can only be powered by the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinth 3:17 speaks of this reality “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”.
This is the joy of our new life in Christ. The Christian life is a life of unmasking everything within you that stands in the way of reflecting Christ. To achieve real peace you have to be real. Lies are like webs, it takes a lie to keep a lie and before long there is a whirlwind brewing and holding you down. God sees through us, we can deceive men with our perfect mask and acting, but can we really deceive God?
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” - Psalm 139:1-4.
While men may fall for looks, mask and eye service, God looks beyond that and looks where it truly matters; our hearts.
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." — l Samuel 16:7
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us and redeem us from all guilt beyond external validations by men.
God starts his work from the heart because it is the heart that guides our actions. In Luke 12: 1 – 3 Jesus spoke about the religious mask, one that people of our generation may be well familiar with:
“By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other’s toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus’ primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, “Watch yourselves carefully so you don’t get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. 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. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.”
Truth is there is a limit to how long one can go with a mask on. How long can you go on with the struggle of patching up, fixing and sweating behind the mask? Is your mask truly worth all that stress? Why don’t you embrace a life of liberty in Christ today?
The more we let go of ourselves and focus on God, the less we have any need of masks. Naturally, you become what you put your focus on.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with every increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Today is the perfect day to take off your mask. Yes, it takes deeper strength to do so, but if you want to see genuine transformation come to you then you must let go and let God. Today is the day to let your mask down.
Written by Ferdy Adimefe
Ferdy Adimefe is a serial entrepreneur passionate about culture and creative industrialization. He curates expressions centered on faith, innovation and technology. He is a Father, Husband, Author and conference speaker; He is also a Pastor at The Tribe Lagos
