Last week a woman had visited my retail store (Soundsational Car Audio) to
purchase a stereo for her son’s car. While having her son’s car worked on--she
started opening up with me about her life.
While talking, somehow we got onto the topic of Christianity (although I'm sure anybody that
knows me wouldn't be surprised by that). After
talking for a while she told me that she had been a long time member of a
large church in the area but that she had recently stopped attending. Although
she had been a very active member of her women's bible study group for over 10
years, she confided in me that she just couldn't play the game any longer. She said “if the women in my bible study
knew how I really felt or how much of a mess my life was, they would be
shocked." I was saddened by the
fact that this woman had been attending this bible study for years yet never
felt comfortable opening up with anyone about what was going on in her
life. I then went on and assured her
that if she knew what was really going on behind the scenes in many
of those women's lives she would also be surprised.
Why do
we hide behind masks in the Church?
The Church should be the one place where it’s safe to be yourself. Yet instead of being "real", we
work hard to project an image of “having it all together” when many times we
are simply broken people who have learned to hide our brokenness. Often times we don't live "authentically"
because we are afraid of being judged.
Honestly, around many church folk that's a very real concern. My personal experience however has shown me
that the people that react the most negatively to those of us who try to be
transparent--are the people that are working the hardest at keeping their own
masks in place. The problem about hiding
who we are inside is the fact that God already knows who we are. He created us
and although he knows every flaw that we have--He still loves us dearly. God
knows us and loves us profoundly. He
doesn’t want us hiding behind a façade but instead wants us to take our pain,
doubts, fears and weaknesses and lay those things down at his feet. It's God's
desire that we would allow his love to transform us from the inside out--not that we simply become
religious and look the part. Change and
growth can only occur when we are honest with ourselves. Isn’t it interesting that the people that were truly honest about
their own weakness and failure were the ones that Jesus was attracted to. One
of my favorite Bible stories was in Luke 18:9-14, “To some who were confident
of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I
am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax
collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat
his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this
man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who
exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.”
The best
way to stop wearing the mask is to start being authentic with who you
are. When "Christ followers" start being
transparent about their pain and weakness while they are in the church, often times something
amazing happens. It gives those other believers around them permission to do the same. When we start being authentic around non-believers it allows them to not only see that you don't have to be perfect to be a Christian--it also allows them to see the difference that God's presence makes in our lives as he walks us through the hard times. I'll be
intentional right now and I'll start by being transparent about myself.
My life is a mess. I am broken,
lonely and have very few answers. But
the God I serve loves to take broken lives and turn them into something
beautiful. I’m glad I have learned the
secret of not hiding my weakness. I’m also grateful that I am part of a church
that values being authentic and walking in transparency. Remember, God does not require that you come
to him perfect--He just asks you to come to him.
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
2 Cor. 12:19, “But he said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest
on me.”