Devotion: What Mask Do You Wear?

“Tear off the mask. Your face is glorious.” ~Rumi

Today is Halloween, which has me thinking about some of my favorite costumes as a kid. There was one I particularly loved…Rainbow Brite. I must have been about four or five, and I can still remember the joy I felt picking out that costume. One fabulous plastic outfit and mask coming my way!

I happily slipped on my Rainbow Brite mask that Halloween evening long ago, full of delight and anticipation, ready to show the world who I had become for that one night.  However, I distinctly remember there was something I did not love about that plastic mask once it was on.

It was suffocating.

The holes in the mask were small and made it hard to breathe, speak, or see clearly. All my senses were impaired. And even though I proudly pranced around the neighborhood collecting my treats and showing off all my Rainbow Brite fabulousness, once I was back home I was thankful to take off that mask and just breathe.

Fast forward thirty years, and I am still wearing a mask this Halloween. Today my mask looks a lot different—it covers my emotions, my sins, my weaknesses, and my fear of judgment—but if I am really honest, it is just as suffocating as my Rainbow Brite mask was.

Still, I fear ripping off that mask for all to see because I would feel…well…

Inadequate.

Exposed.

Vulnerable.

Flawed.

And the truth is…I am.  I am all those things. But ripping off that mask and letting you see who I really am gives me room to breathe, room for God to move, to use me in the same way He created me—in His image. It also gives people room to judge me and all my flaws, but I am willing to take that risk to stand before you as who I really am rather than a fake, plastic, masked version of who God made me to be. I want to be brave enough to rip off my mask, not so you can see my glorious face, but so you can see His.

Pride. Insecurity. Offense. Perfection. Strength. These are all masks we wear. And there are so many more.

Masks are so easy to put on and so unbelievably hard to take off.  But when we wear them and refuse to remove them for fear of being seen, we are not only blocking the world from seeing our beauty, but our Father’s as well.

[Tweet “Masks don’t just hide who we are—they block our vision. “]

They don’t allow us to see the whole truth about ourselves, God, or anyone else.

Masks keep us hidden, vision-impaired, and longing to breathe freely. If you find yourself in this very place and you don’t know how to get out, I have one word for you:

Jesus.

Jesus came to be our living example.  He never wore a single mask. He was exposed and vulnerable yet never flawed — and yes, he was judged.  But oh, how his glorious face shone, and still shines today. Judgments will come, but they do not define us, just as they did not define our Savior.

Dear friends, let’s be really brave and strip off our masks today. I promise you, the world needs to see more of your glorious face—and his.

Lord, we come to You today ready to strip off our masks and lay them at your feet. We want Your glorious face to shine bright to the world! Teach us how to be brave enough to take off our masks and expose both the beauty and flaws hidden beneath.  And when we feel the need to hide again, may the only place we hide be within the safety of Your arms. Amen.

Scriptures for Reflection

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10 NIV)

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

Reach for More

This week let’s take a hard and honest look at the masks we have been hiding behind. Remember, you are not alone—we all have them. Reach out to a safe and trusted friend, rip off your mask, unveil your gloriously flawed self, and breathe. Let’s inhale truth and exhale grace.

Dear friends, you can do this. Be courageous, and remember that one small act of love is so much greater than none at all.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her sweet hubby, J, and her full-time job is making pretty things all day long for her Etsy business, so sarah designs, but she also loves writing devotional content here at The Glorious Table.

 

Photograph by, Chantal Mure.