In the movie, Ever After a
Cinderella Story, the king and queen hold a masked ball in their son’s
honor. All the ladies dress up in
beautiful dresses and masks intended to enhance their looks by hiding flaws. All in the hopes of catching the eye of the prince. Each lady is announced before entering the
ballroom. And, much like us today, rest
assured as every lady in attendance turned to see the next woman entering; they
summed her up and compared her to themself.
Beginning at a very young age, we
compare ourselves to others. We notice
every little flaw, and out of those comparisons, we begin to notice areas of
life we struggle with and for some of us, these areas are masked for years as
we grow into adulthood. We all have parts of us we don’t like. We don’t like thinking about it or looking at
it, let alone revealing it to others.
We don’t want to take off the
mask. We become comfortable with the mask, it feels good, it looks good, it is
accepted by family members, church member, and society. To often we try to
please man. Galatians 1:10 speaks of this “Am I now trying to win the approval
of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to
please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. What if we all dared enough to
take off the mask, out
of an act of service? Revealing what is accepted and created by our
Heavenly Father? Matthew 11: 28 says, “Come to me , all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest..”. I
believe if we follow this command several things will happen…
God will show up giving you
rest in your weaknesses
People will accept you
knowing they too have struggles being masked
Our community will have
authentic relationships
We can encourage others as
they too take off their mask
Healing will take place
We will delight in who God
has made us to be
I will admit there are many times
when I don’t want to take off the mask… there are times when I see what is
unmasked and I HATE it. That is when I realize, I need to apologize to the
Lord. How can I HATE something He has created? God wants us to reveal His
creation, refine his creation and to encourage others He has created! I
encourage you to stop hiding His perfect Creation with a mask. Be real with
each other. If taking of your mask reveals some deep struggles, it is ok! God
will provide the tools it takes to heal them, and refine you.
Back to the movie. Jacqueline, the kind, free spirited younger
step-sister goes to ball with a much different mask on than most of the
ladies. She wears a horse mask. It fits her personality, it reveals a lot
about her nature. Spunky at times,
gentle at times; not perfect, but real and transparent. She wears a mask that
isn’t meant to hide her.
Enjoy the true beauty God
instilled in you! Don’t be afraid of what lies beneath the mask.
