Daily Devotional – 10/18/16 “Remove the mask!”

As the world prepares to celebrate Halloween, by dressing in costumes and masks, it makes me realize that a lot of us have been wearing masks, all year. Yea, if I shall tell the truth; there have been a lot of folk walking around under the disguise of a smile when you know good and well, you cry yourself to sleep every night. Some wear the mask of happiness, when in fact, you’re living in hell at home. Some wear a mask of sanity when you’re one cry away from depression. Some even have a mask of prestige when they know, if they miss one day of work, they won’t eat next week. There are folk who show up on Sunday with their shouting face on but one breakdown from suicide. Pastors who stand in front of congregations, Sunday after Sunday, with their mask on, only to be secretly tormented by demons of past and present.

When will we, as children of God, remove the masks? When will we own up to who we really are and stop running from the realness of it? You do know that you’ve got to admit your true faults before you can begin to get help, right? It’s not so that you can be judged but it’s so you can get your joy back. Aren’t you tired of wearing this mask? Aren’t you sick of being someone you’re not? Lying to live but really not living. Faking it until you make it but not surviving. Where is your faith? The faith that will sustain you, even when it feels like everything is going wrong. The faith that will give you the strength to stand even when the mask comes off. The bible says in Romans 5:2, “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” But we can’t do this if we live under a sham of being someone we’re not. This is why it’s time to remove the mask. Who are you, really?