Daily Lift: True Self!
2 Corinthians 3:16
16 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.
Most of us wear masks of some kind…….professional for work, approving in front of family and friends, and various others when the need arises. We believe that we can’t be who we really are, for who we are will not be received well. We learn the practice early when our parents reward behavior that meets their expectations, and we are punished for acting as ourselves. We are discouraged from pursuing our own interests because of unlived dreams of our parents. Many doctors and lawyers are frustrated artists, musicians, and chefs.
There aren’t many environments that are safe to let our guards down to be our true selves. Personally, it took years of being married the second time to expose my true self. Each time I let out another part of me that I had hidden away, I held my breath to see if I would still be loved and accepted. As I received confirmation that I was still lovable, I continued to let my husband see the “real” me.
How many of you out there still hide a part of yourselves from those you love and care about because you believe they wouldn’t love or accept you the same way if they knew who you really were?
This is what I know: We don’t have to hide from God. He created us, so He knows everything about us. No matter how much we try and hide our shortcomings from Him, He knows they are there. He is just waiting for us to confess to Him that we have these faults…..“I am jealous of my sister’s success” “I really don’t like my boss” “I resent my parents for making me go to law school instead of nursing”…..whatever your true self feels or thinks.
For once we confess to Him that our hearts really harbor these feelings and opinions, we have humbled ourselves before Him. Once repentance has occurred, He draws closer to us so we can learn that He loves us no matter what……He created us…..we are fearfully and wonderfully made….we are HIS.
But the best part is that His unconditional love allows us to accept those parts of ourselves that we have hidden behind masks. Finally free to be who we were designed to be, we can soar to new heights of exploring all of life, not just what we have been.
The result is two-fold…..for we also learn more about God. If you take a diamond and turn it in the light, you see new facets with each new position. Repentance and revealing our true selves to God will allow us to see a new part of His character: mercy, grace, and love for us.
There is no reason to continue to wear a mask…..not to God or anyone else. I have learned that being my true self has brought more love and joy to my life than I ever thought possible.
