Monday, November 28, 2016 

Topic: “Masquerade Ball”

Verse for the Week: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Do you ever feel like life is just a big Masquerade Ball—everyone hiding behind one type of mask or another?

Insecurity and fear are powerful influencers in what masks we wear and why we wear them.

Could it be the airbrushed, botoxed, plastic faces we see on t.v. and on the pages of magazines? Or maybe it’s the mom next door who seems to be doing everything perfectly.

How about a habit that derails your best intentions even though you want to change more than anything? Not to mention how the shame of a past mistake can plummet your self-esteem in one hot minute.

Whatever it is that keeps you stuck behind the facade of a mask, it is time to face it head-on and call a spade a spade.

Taking off your mask is not for the fainthearted. It requires honesty, openness, and a whole lot of vulnerability. And that is just tough!

The thing is, everybody around you is doing a credit check of sorts on your life. They want to know if you are who you say you are.

Kind of like a bank would do if you were asking for a loan. But this type of credit check is different in that it is subjective and based solely on whether or not they think you are the real deal and if you can be trusted. Or are you just a big show of smoke and mirrors?

With this as your guide, take a little time to do your own credit check?

Study your habits—what do they say to others? Study your thoughts—what do they say to God? Study your words…study your actions…study what you talk to your friends about?

When all is said and done, who are you? Are you being authentic to who God has created and called you to be?

Over the past ten years, God has given me a craving for authenticity. Strange, I know. But for much of my life, I hid behind the facade of a mask. I was hiding from so many things with fear at the root.

This negative mindset became ingrained in my identity, influenced many of my decisions, and led me down some destructive paths. I found myself exhausted from the charade and in need of a major overhaul.

Thank goodness for the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17. We no longer need to live as a slave to fear and hide behind masks of inauthenticity. Why? Because of our identity in Christ—we are new creations.

It’s time to start standing in this new identity. God has blessed us with the gift of transformation. But it means nothing if we don’t believe Him and walk it out in our everyday lives and everyday interactions with others.

It’s time! Time to say goodbye to the old you that hides behind the mask. Instead, embrace the new you. The you that is in Christ. You are saved. You are beautiful. You are forgiven. You are blessed. You are healed. And so much more.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the freedom to live a life of authenticity. Help me to remove the masks of fear and insecurity and shame. Fill me with your Spirit and keep me safe as I reveal who you have divinely designed me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:

This week I want to encourage you to take off the mask. Maybe even encourage someone else in your life to take off their mask. Remember, you are a new creation. Stand strong in the truth that Christ in You makes you all kinds of beautiful.

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and be true.

Dori