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WHICH MASK DO YOU WEAR?

October 26, 2008
Romans 12:1-2

We hear a lot about multiple personalities. There are movies about the many egos of Sibyl and the three faces of Eve. At Halloween, Trick or Treaters have fun with costumes and masks. But, all of us wear masks. All of us have conflicting elements.

Paul felt this internal confusion and expressed it dramatically. “For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do but I am doing the very thing I hate . . . So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish . . . For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Rom 7:15-25).
Such spiritual, mental and emotional conflicts make us miserable. They destroy our productivity. They will eventually kill us.

Let’s examine these different personalities and different masks.

I. FIRST, THERE IS THE PERSON WE SEE.

Few of us are totally objective about our own characteristics. Sometimes we’re too hard on ourselves. We know our faults and weaknesses. We have our secret guilts and fears. We feel unworthy and insecure. In underestimating our importance, we deny the value of God’s supreme creation and destroy our own self-esteem. The Psalmist said, “What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? . . . Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psa. 8:4-6).

Then, sometimes we’re too easy on ourselves. We make excuses for our failures and justify our selfishness. We blame others for our problems and cover up our shortcomings. In overestimating our importance, we run the risk of becoming arrogant and ego-centric.

The Scriptures give many warnings against such self deceit. John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8).

You see, evaluating our real worth and potential is hard. It’s always difficult to see the picture clearly if you’re inside the frame. That’s why the person we see may or may not be an accurate reflection of who we really are.

If you look at a mirror in a fun house, the image you see is not true. It doesn’t show you who you really are. The distortion can be misleading. Once a psychiatrist was counseling a severely depressed patient. He finally said, “I hear there’s a performer in town, an extremely funny clown. Why don’t you go see him. Maybe he can cheer you up.”

“Oh, Doctor,” the patient explained. “That won’t help. You see, I am that clown.”

Are there phony pretenders living inside us? Do we see ourselves as we really are?

II. SECOND, THERE IS THE PERSON OTHERS SEE.

We try to put our best foot forward in public. We even wear masks with our friends. We do this because we feel people would not like us if they knew all about us.

We hide behind protective armor because we’re afraid to let our true feelings show. We wear intellectual disguises because we don’t think our opinions are valid. Jesus repudiated such false fronts. He said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence” (Matt. 23:25).

Counterfeits, are so common today. They say a certain fellow bought a mousetrap and put it in his cellar. Since he didn’t have any cheese, he cut out a picture of some cheese and put it in the trap. When he went down to check the next morning, he found the picture of cheese had been replaced with a picture of a mouse. You see, one fake leads to another.

Since falseness is so common, the person others see may or may not be an accurate reflection of who we really are. Public opinion is shallow.

Two successful authors were discussing their work. One said, “Did you ever lose confidence in your writing?” “Oh, yes,” said the other. “Once after about twenty years it dawned on me that I had absolutely no talent, whatsoever.” ‘What did you do?” asked the first. “What could I do?” shrugged the other. “By that time I was famous!”

There’s a lot of posturing and public relations hype in the world. Clothes and status symbols are used to promote candidates and rock stars. People are packaged like perfume and “sold” to a gullible populace.
Do others see ourselves as we really are?

III. THIRD, THERE IS THE PERSON GOD SEES.

The Scripture says, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).

Jesus said, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).

We can’t fool God. Jesus said, “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me” (Matt. 15:8).

The Psalmist describes a spiritual schizophrenic. “His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war . . .” (Psa. 55:21).

Yes, living in uncertainty is miserable. Trying to perpetuate a sham is futile. Let’s be who we are! God loves us that way. Furthermore, God sees us as potential saints. He see us as we can be. He sees our possibilities.
God didn’t see Abram, the pagan. He saw Abraham, father of a chosen race. “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:1-2).

God didn’t see Jacob, the crook. He saw Israel, head of a nation. “God said to him . . . ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name . . . A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you’ “ (Gen. 35:10-11).

God didn’t see Simon, the denier. He saw Peter, a rock. “Jesus . . . said, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah . . . You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church . . .’ ” (Matt. 16:17-18).

God didn’t see Saul, the murderer. He saw Paul, a committed missionary. “But the Lord said . . . he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles . . .” (Acts 9:15).

God believes the best about us. By believing the best, He brings out the best. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

Paul said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

God wants us to let our true, unique nature show forth. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Now, he didn’t say, let your pastor’s light shine, or some great saint’s light shine, or a famous theologian’s light shine. He said “Let your light shine.” Each of us shines in our own special way. Each of us brightens dark corners that no one else can reach.

We can truly believe that the man God sees is an accurate reflection of who we really are. Once a teacher asked her class, “What’s in the world today that was not here twenty years ago?” She expected the class to mention some new invention. Soon a little boy held up his hand. “All right, Johnny,” she said, “what is here that was not here twenty years ago?” He quickly answered, “Me!”

What a wonderful statement. When that child was born, something brand new came into the world. Among all the billions of people, there has only been one of me and one of you. Each of us can do something that no one else can do. Each of us can make a special contribution to the world. Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “To be who we truly are, and to become all we are capable of becoming is the only end of life.”

Since God sees us as we really are, it’s unfortunate that our true self is so often lost among our false selves. Someone said, “That man’s reputation wouldn’t recognize his character if it met it.”
Would yours? Is your reputation different from your character? If so, you’re not a whole person. The greatest goal of your life should be to find yourself!

Do you really know who you are? Many years ago, an “Identification Rally” for amnesia victims was scheduled in Paris. Thousands of relatives of missing persons gathered in a great plaza. One by one, the men and women were led to a central platform to speak these words: “Is there anyone here who can tell me who I am?

That’s a universal question. Do you really know who you are? Are there three different persons inside your skin? Who do you see? Who do others see? Who does God see?

It’s only when these three merge into one integrated soul that we become truly whole. We don’t have to live in a confusion of masks. Jesus came to tell us who we really are. We’re sons and daughters of God. He came to tell us where we are. We’re here on earth as God’s representatives. He came to tell us why we’re here. We’re here to reflect God’s glory and share God’s grace with a hurting world.

Are you a multiple personality? Are you a non-person? Are you confused and empty? You needn’t remain in that state. Jesus came to give you life! He said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

In one scene of the play “Godspell,” Jesus takes a bucket of water, a rag and a mirror. He goes to his disciples one by one, and washes away their painted-on clown faces. Then, he holds the mirror up in front of them so they can see themselves as they really are, and then he hugs them.

The point is obvious and powerful: We don’t have to wear false faces. We don’t have to hide our inadequacies. And we don’t have to pretend to be something we are not. God loves us and accepts us just as we are! We call that “amazing grace.”

So, during this Halloween season it’s okay to have fun with costumes and masks; but don’t wear them every day. Instead, be yourself! The Psalmist said, “You desire honesty from the heart; yes, utter sincerity and truthfulness”

(Psa. 51:6, lb).

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This issue of NEW PERSPECTIVES is from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted 2008 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THEM IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works.

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