Unmasking

Yesterday while I was sitting in church drinking in a profoundly challenging message from John 6, something about it revealed to me the deep need we have to see our need for Jesus.  We so desperately try to hide, cover up, mask our depravity, our imperfections.

Jesus was revealing what salvation, what truth, what relationship with God requires.  You must unmask yourself, in a sense, to know your need of Him.

Unmasking is scary.  It is revealing! (profound huh!?)   Yet, only in unmasking ourselves can we enter into true intimacy.  This is a deep, very personal lesson I am experiencing.  I did not even realize how hard I have tried to hold a mask over myself especially in regards to human relationships.  The problem with a mask is it keeps people out... it blocks intimacy.  Love.  Relationship....

The things that we were created for....

God longs for this with us... He created us for His glory: for relationship with Him.  Sin, a stubborn stance in independent pride, a covering mask of sorts, keeps us separated.  He bridged the gap; we have to let the mask down.

I consider myself a very transparent person.  Personal, friendly, warm, welcoming... yet I have struggled with deep loneliness.  We all know this to some degree.  I am discovering I am my own worst enemy.... isolation seems safe; yet it is cold and deadly.

In order to have satisfying relationship... we have to let down a guard, we have to unmask ... and let ourselves be seen.  Overcoming the fear of exposure, knowing our own imperfections and allowing them to be seen... is a risk, but love will not grow without said risk.

Oh how beautiful it is to get on the other side... to find God loves us in our mess, accepting and even making us something of worth and significant, (a repeated theme in my posts) and then, beautifully glorifies Himself through them.

He leaves me speechless again.

On a human level... it works the same way, it is a bit scarier, as humans are not perfect, we have a tendency to not be as gracious or accepting.  We are human.  Yet when we begin to trust God to be our protector (laying down the instinct to do this ourselves) knowing our acceptance, worth and significance rest in Him, we can be vulnerable.  Then a wonderful thing begins to happen: love, intimacy, freedom... acceptance.

God empowers us to experience something He designed us for -- authentic relationships: it is simply lovely.   I am learning to "unmask" myself a lot lately.  It is a risky thing but I am delightfully discovering it is a very rewarding thing too, being loved in your imperfections... is transforming!

Comments

notpoems said…
"Isolation seems safe, but it is cold and deadly." O how true. thanks for sharing.

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