Is Your Mask Permanent?

"Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance."

Proverbs 11:14

 "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."

Psalm 34:5

A few ladies and I are currently preparing for our annual G.I.R.L. Ministry (God-Inspired-Reborn-Lady) retreat, Beyond the Masquerade.  We all tend to wear masks to hide who God made us, for so many reasons we cannot possibly list them all here!  Our retreat this year is going to be awesome, and this may even be an understatement if you have been witness to any of our staffs' lives lately! 

We all know Satan attacks when he feels threatened, and let me assure you, he has been feeling threatened since our planning began for this retreat!!!  Through each of the ladies lives, and many of the lives of our event speakers, over the course of a few months, there has been turmoil, strife, confusion, depression, and heart ache.  This list is not at all inclusive, but pretty much sums it up, Satan has been attacking!  I praise God, however, that he has not been successful!  This struggle, this fight between good and evil is very real, just attempt to stick your neck out there for Christ; you will begin to see how real it is.

As Proverbs 11:14 states above, if we have no guidance, we will fall, but we should consult with many counselors...not the feel-good kind, but the type of people who are going to tell us the truth, regardless if we are going to like it.  The people who love us enough to love God and His word more.  To have a Nathan in my life is worth so much more than having someone who wants to 'tickle my ears' and tell me something they think I want to hear.

Do you know who Nathan is?  He is the prophet our LORD sent to confront David about his sin (Bathsheba & Uriah love triangle - see 2 Sam Chapters 10-12) David was King, Nathan told him a sad story of a poor man who had one lamb, but loved that little lamb like it were his daughter; then there was a rich man who had many sheep, but when it came time to have a party, he took the poor man's lamb to prepare for company coming.  David was enraged!  He commanded that man deserved to die! 

I can picture the scene, as Nathan brings himself to his feet, raising his arm and pointing his finger to David, he exclaims, "You are the man!"  Whoa....David begins to flash back to the poor decisions he has made, one by one, as his heart sinks deeper and deeper into his chest..."I am that man? How could I have come down this far?"  David was known as the man after God's very heart and he has become that man?

David held onto his mask of being so close to God, he lost sight of keeping many counselors and keeping to reality.  He started doing things his way, his mask grew more and more attached until he didn't even realize he was wearing it anymore, until, that is, God sent Nathan to rip it off!

Some of our masks are like that of David's, then some of our masks are like that of the woman at the well...(John 4:1-40) She was a Samaritan woman, one day while at the well gathering water, Jesus approached her, and asked her to get Him a drink.  She was taken back, thinking He didn't realize she was a Samaritan (Jews didn't like them because they were considered to be 'half-breed', which was considered unclean to a Jew.)  This woman already had a mask on of nonacceptance.  She was at the well at the certain time to try to stay away from people; she couldn't stand the ridicule any longer.  Later in the course of their interaction, Jesus told her to go get her husband, she answered that she didn't have one...Jesus was thankful for her honesty, and told her the rest of the story of her own life: "You have correctly said, 'I don't have a husband', for you've had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." 

Imagine if you will, her shock!  She most likely was not trying to tell the truth, but trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation, and yet, this Man knew everything about her, and commended her for being honest!  Her mask was slowing coming off, as her true beauty of who God made her to be was being revealed...it hurt, but there was such a release to not pretend anymore, not to care anymore.  This Man removed her mask and what was her response?  She went to told everyone she saw about this Man!!  A woman, who came to get water at a time when no one would be there, is now putting herself in every one's face telling them about This Man!  She no longer cared what everyone else thought of her, her mask had been removed!  Amazing!

Allow God to work on your mask today...the first thing He will do is reveal it to you...oh, and if you are 'normal', you have more than one!!  Talk to Him, find a couple good counselors who will speak Truth, and lean on Christ to build you up and show you how beautiful He made you!

Have a blessed day!