You know that feeling you get when you wash your face? Maybe you are taking your make up off, or just getting the “sleepies” washed away. You first look in the mirror at what you are dealing with. It could indeed be from yesterday’s make-up, and Oh! those wrinkles that are coming!! It might be that you are trying to gear yourself up for the day. “I can do it. Here I go. Ok! I’m ready.” Are you revealing the real woman? Could it be possible that you are trying to wash on the outside what you want to clean out from the inside?
What do I mean by that, you ask?? You can’t actually wash out your insides, but sometimes you want to. That look you give yourself in the mirror isn’t just a surface look. It’s not your undone hair, checking out your teeth, or doing that posture check. But your eyes — your
eyes are there, looking back at you, and in your own mind, you alone know what you are wanting to cover up in order to get ready for the day. It’s what you see and know about yourself that you are able to hide from most people once you actually get going for the day. There is no amount of concealer that can hide what you know is in your mind and on your heart. As you are looking in your mirror are you truly alone?
Are you hiding from your past? Those actions that you are trying so badly to change, but it seems at every turn they are still there and screaming at you to recognize them and pick up those old habits? Sometimes you are hiding from your circumstances. Are you hiding the truth about your marriage? Are you struggling with alcohol and pills? Do you keep jumping from one man to another in a false hope that he will appreciate your mask? Is your life what you lead everyone to believe, or is there a deep cover up?
Do you have a label that the world, or someone in particular has put on you? Has it become something that you think now defines you and because of shame, guilt and unforgiveness, you just want to cover all that up? A mask of a smile, or of seclusion. A mask of secrecy. Has the world caused you to believe that you are of no worth? Divorce. Abortion. Casual Sex…easy. Ugly. Abused. Worthless. A bad mom. An untrustworthy employee.
I know I have covered up my not having it all together with an air of fake confidence and even pride. I thought I could make my false image more real if I believed it better myself and looked down on others who, in my sinful opinion, were a waste of time. At the end of the day though, I had to look at myself in the mirror, into my eyes and see beyond. Beyond and into what I knew to be true. I wore a mask and even though I thought it would cover up the ugliness in me, God could see right through it.
The truth. In the light. Bring it to the Light.
“Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””
What has been covered in you? Is it enjoyment of life? Is it color and laughter, joy even? Is there hidden ability that you have lost under the mess of it all? I know when I went through my divorce, I rediscovered some girly parts of my character that had been lost in the yuck of abuse and the cover up. There was even a freeing in knowing for myself that I didn’t have it all together. Not only that, but I didn’t care if others believed if I had it together either. The only thing I wanted anyone to know was that I was going to cling to Christ no matter what my day-to-day life was throwing at me.
Maybe you haven’t had too many difficulties, but the world has tossed you to and fro in your thinking and your ways. Sometimes even in your Christian thinking your mask is just that…Christian thinking. But you are not fully living it out and on many days, even your faith is a false mask that you wear when on the inside you rage like the seas and are unsteady.
Sweet friend, the next time you look in that mirror; today, tonight or in the morning, know that God sees you. He sees what you see deep inside and He calls you precious. There is no mask, no make-up and no concealer that can hide the real you from our holy God. His love is great for you. His grace is sufficient in all that you struggle with. And He sees you.
So while you may seem to be alone while you look in the mirror, know that you are not alone. And what our heavenly Father sees in you is not at all what you are looking at, nor is it anything of what the world has said (or not said) to you. As you have given your life to Christ you are free to drop the lies and put away the show. There is no one on earth to impress and certainly no one you have to try and be like. You get to fully be you. You are exactly who Jesus loves and the beloved whom He sacrificed His life for.
If you have not yet trusted your life to Jesus, or you are still uncertain about Him, just go. Put down the masks and go. If you have fallen back into things you had once walked away from, turn back around. It’s not too late and He will never say that you are too much mess for Him to handle.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
He has everything to offer you, and a work that He will do, complete and perfect in you as you walk closer and closer to Him. Then, when you look in the mirror, you will not only see yourself without the mask, real and raw, but you will see Him. You will see what He has given you and you will know that He is with you.
“Do not let you adornment be merely outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel — rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
(Just for fun…)
The Real Woman
The real woman has joy and sorrow. She has strength and she has pain. The real woman knows that on her own she cannot, but by the strength of Jesus she will. The real woman isn’t her clothes, make-up or shoes. She is deep and full and her mind is overflowing with dreams. The real woman runs and climbs to do what she has set out to do. She slips and falls and scrapes her knees, sometimes getting ahead of what she should be. There is One who always has His hand out for her. He wipes her tears and holds her face. He sees inside where no one goes, and by faith and some grace she grows and grows. The real woman has made many mistakes and dealt with it all. Yet she has a future and a hope and by His plans she will succeed. The real woman can uncover the lies of the world and let her heart go. She is willing to trust that failure is part of it all and that she able because of His love. The real woman may seem far away, and in a distant land. But when you stop for a moment and look in her eyes, you will know that the real woman is you.
Rob and Jenna Crenshaw 