The Mask!

When I say Make-up, most people envision the fake faces that people make up with foundation, mascara, blush, eye-liner, eye-shadow,lip stick, and who knows what all else. But why do people, especially girls feel the need to wear so much make-up on their face? Confidence maybe? Acceptance? Low self-esteem? They think it makes them look nicer maybe? To hide a blemish? There are probably a lot of reasons why girls find such a need to layer on make-up (some more than others). But I am not talking about the make-up you can buy at a cosmetic store. I am talking about maybe something we may be hiding behind. Maybe the make-up of being busy all the time, or work, or studying. We may feel like if we are always working, or studying, or busy with friends or other activities we will feel more accepted, we will have a higher confidence. We may feel like we belong somewhere if we have something to plug into. Having things to "hide" behind can also hide fear, shyness, maybe something in your past, maybe it will hide a secret struggle you don't want anyone to find out about. So we wear thick foundation and all kinds of other make-up in order to appear put together and perfect and accepted by others. This feeling builds our esteem, gives higher confidence as we try to push all the other feelings of loneliness, fear, hurt, unworthiness etc... out. But your wearing so much make-up its not really you anymore. Its a picture perfect version of you, that still allows you to see your flaws even more when you take it off. 

  Have you ever washed your face and left a face-mask on? At first it feels good. It feels as though its doing its job, and your skin is getting cleaned. But after a while it starts feeling thick and plastery and inescapable. Same with our "make-up" At first it feels good, but then it hardens and sticks and all of a sudden we have a fake smile and fake personality that we can't escape! 

This is a problem!!! If foundation is left on and never washed off, just applied over and over and over again what happens? It gets dirty, and nasty! Well our dirt, and nastiness is sin! Everyone has sin, its all the things that we think, say and do that displease God. Anything from thinking a mean thought, to shop-lifting to who knows what. Its all sin, we all have it, and the punishment for all sin is the same. Death! Romans 3:23 says "For all have fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23" For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We are headed to death and destruction in a place that is separated from God.... WE DO NOT WANT THIS!!!!! The Bible talks in Psalm 74:22 about how we are like filthy beasts, in James it describes as a vapor in the wind. The descriptions of God are the exact opposite!! Isaiah 6:1-5 describes Him as holy and powerful, the train of His robe filling the temple! Just the train of His robe!!! looks like we are in trouble there is no way we can compare or even come close to holiness like that, when we are so imperfect and flawed! 

But there is good news! Jesus says "Call upon me and you will be saved!" He says in Matthew 11:28-30 to cast all our burdens on Him and we take the yoke off our shoulders and put it on His. It says in Isaiah 40:26-31 that God is the everlasting God, He will never get tired, or weary, He is always faithful! Isaiah 41:10 says not to fear for He is our God! Psalms 74:23-24 after saying how we are like beasts it talks about how we can have a relationship with Christ! We just need to repent of our sins and believe on His name! And guess what He will do!!!!! 

HE TAKES THE MASK OFF!!! He wipes it off with ease and gentleness. And just like once the face-wash is off our skin is smooth and vulnerable so are our hearts. After our mask is washed off our skin is clean but it still could use the moisterizer of God's grace and the toner of prayer, and the protection of His word. It says in Hebrews 10:8-10 once we are saved by His grace we go through the process of sanctification which is becoming like Him. Once we are saved He gives us three things. 

1.) A new Name! he calls us His child, He calls us Beloved! 

2.) A new Nature! 2 Corinthians 5:17 The old has passed away behold new things have come!

3.) A new Identity! 2 Samuel 16:7 God does not see the same way people see, people look at the outside of a person but the Lord looks at the heart! 

So in closing, we have a hope! We don't have to be stuck in a rut with a plastic mask on! It also says in James 1:19-27 about how after we are read to the word of God, after we are to hear what He wants us to hear we are not supposed to leave it at that! That would be like looking in a mirror seeing blemishes and noticing that your hair needs combing and your shirt smells bad, and not changing anything. No! God wants us to read his word and prayerfully come about to apply it to our lives. Washing your face once, wont clear all the acne away. But do it for a month.... and you may have much clearer skin!