By Bryn Kelly
At the beginning of my healing/sanctification journey I learned that it was of utmost importance that I be honest with myself and honest with God – no matter how nasty, disgusting, or embarrassing the stuff inside me looked or felt. No matter how afraid I was to look at it, I had to admit what was inside of my heart, thoughts and emotions. No matter how disappointed I felt in myself or how much guilt and shame I carried, I had to face it. No matter what anyone else thought of me, I had to quit pretending.
There were many times when I wanted to run, hide, make excuses and bury the stuff deeper within myself trying to forget it and ignore it. But God has had me share all of my secrets.
We need to bring the darkness of our secrets into the light. Instead of running, hiding, making excuses or trying to bury this stuff, we need to excitedly run to the foot of the cross and drop it there! Jesus loves to take it! God already knows this stuff is there, but as long as we try to deny it or keep it hidden, it will just fester and make our souls more infected and septic! There are consequences of unconfessed sins.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:3-4 NIV)
In my 12 years of ministry I have had extensive on-the-job training. I’ve seen God deliver people from stuff that has kept them in bondage most of their lives. Many were shocked and not even aware that it was there. Many were filled with fear of what their life would look like when they were free. Many were in denial and wearing masks – masks they had worn all of their lives. Some were afraid to take off their masks for fear of what others would think or say. Some were afraid of facing the truth about what was inside of them.
Masks hide the truth about us. They are a false persona of ourselves, a façade, that we want the world to believe. They take many shapes and forms:
- Masks that show us as a perfect, holy, spiritual Christian.
- Masks portraying us as great parents with the perfect family.
- Chameleon masks that change with each social situation we find ourselves in, but never revealing the true person hiding inside.
- Masks that hide our addictions to pornography, gambling, drugs, etc..
- Masks that hide the deep hurts and wounds from rejection.
Masks keep people out, but they also keep the hidden, hurtful, destructive stuff inside.
Masks keep people from seeing the real you, but they also keep you from getting free to know and experience the real you.
Masks feel like they keep us safe, but they are really keeping us in bondage to fear.
Masks keep you stuck in the past, unable to break free to step fully into your destiny.
The truth is that we ALL have this stuff inside of us. We are ALL in this process of walking out our salvation/santification daily. None of us are any better than anyone else. We all sin, we all make mistakes. That doesn’t make us bad … it makes us human. That’s why Jesus died for our sins, to buy our forgiveness and our freedom.
It’s time for you to take off your masks. It’s time to tear down the walls that are standing between you and a deeper relationship with God. It’s time to run TO the cross, and not FROM the cross. The more truthful you are about who you are and what’s been going on in your soul, the quicker you will get free. Finding a safe person in whom you can confide or confess signifies your intent to change and is a wonderful place to start your healing process. Many people find that Saturday ministry at the RLI conference is their time to take off the mask and break free of their secret.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 NIV)
Are you dealing with the fear of letting your stuff go or the fear of what others will think of you? Are you dealing with guilt or shame about having this junk inside of you?
In last month’s Newsletter and Power Tool we discussed the 8 R’s and repentance. Now would be a great time to put these tools to use!
Go to Father God and repent. Ask Him to forgive you. Ask Him to help you be honest with yourself and be honest with Him. Take it all to Him and lay it at the foot of the cross.
Don’t beat yourself up! Forgive yourself and release yourself from the guilt and the shame. Forgive yourself for your words, actions and emotions. Forgive yourself for hiding behind those masks and not being honest with yourself and with God. Have compassion for yourself. Seek permission to love yourself and to help yourself into wholeness, honesty, freedom and health! Invite the Holy Spirit to come and help you overcome these deep issues in your life. Thank Jesus for what He did on the cross for you that you are instantly forgiven and washed clean by His blood. Declare the scriptures that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus and an over comer because of what He did on the cross for you! Receive your forgiveness, healing and restoration in Jesus name.
It’s time to take off those masks and walk into a deeper, freer relationship with God!