You may have some cute trick-or-treaters visiting you this week. While it’s fun to take on different personas with zany costumes, as COVID has shown, masks can be limiting and suffocating.

Physical masks shield us from some airborne pollutants. But wearing figurative masks to protect our image or hide our insecurities creates distance and loneliness.

[bctt tweet=”Physical #masks shield us from some airborne pollutants. But wearing figurative masks to protect our image or hide our insecurities creates distance and loneliness. #RechargeWednesday” username=”PatHolbrook”]

Certain situations and people draw out our sense of inadequacy. When surrounded by more successful, better informed, or more polished people, we grab a mask to fit in. Let’s look at some common masks.

Types of Masks

• The humor mask keeps conversations on a superficial level to cover the hurt and vulnerability an honest conversation might reveal.
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• The victim and drama masks say, “Focus on my problems so you won’t blame me for my inadequacies.”
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• The mask of crisp efficiency keeps people from getting close.
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• Masks of anger, self-pity, perfectionism, boastful pride, super-spirituality, and the ever-needed caretaker insulate us from scrutiny.

These masks isolate and keep us insecure. Only when we remove them do we find true acceptance and healing. So, how do we remove our masks? The answer may surprise you.

Instead of layering on masks, God offers to wrap us in the righteousness of Christ.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV).

On the cross Jesus became our ugliness. He took our shame. He died for all our brokenness and sinfulness. Being wrapped in His robe of righteousness is enough. He’s removed the need for fig leaves and masks.

Isaiah calls our righteous deeds filthy rags. The good works we do to gain God’s and other people’s acceptance enhance Christ’s righteousness as much as a ketchup stain improves a white blouse.

When we understand what Jesus accomplished for us, we can remove our masks and bask in His unconditional love and acceptance. We risk being real with others and allow them to know us as we are—people in process. If we hide behind our masks too long, we begin to wrongly believe they’re our identity.

[bctt tweet=”When we understand what Jesus accomplished for us, we can remove our masks and bask in His unconditional love and #acceptance.” username=”PatHolbrook”]

Steps to Remove the Masks

1. Be real with God. The Old Testament poets and prophets poured out their confusion to God. They didn’t fake a pious pretense with Him. God rewarded their honesty. Renewing their minds renewed their hope (Lam. 3).
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2. Trust God’s assessment of you. If your standards for self-acceptance are higher than God’s, they’re unrighteous (Job 4:17). God accepts us based on Jesus’ righteousness. Period.
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3. Begin with safe people who understand grace. With practice you’ll learn to be real with all people.
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4. Extend grace to those you meet on your walk through life. Being kind strengthens us (Pro. 11:17).

God could have made us spiritually mature the moment of spiritual birth. Instead, He designed spiritual growth to be a process. When we remove our masks, we show God we trust His estimation of us and His work in our lives.

During the COVID threat we will continue to see many types of masks. But let’s not make playing a role one we use.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

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[bctt tweet=”LINKUP is open. Join my friend @DebbieWWilson as we look at the masks we need to remove. Share your blog!” username=”PatHolbrook”]