Take Off the Mask
By Elizabeth Cole
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:3
By Elizabeth Cole
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:3
Have you ever noticed how many of the superheroes put on masks when it’s time to do their “superhero jobs”? Maybe you haven’t meditated on that thought lately, but think about it…there they are, coursing through the air with their colored masks hiding their true identity.
I’ll admit it. That’s one of the reasons I like Superman so much. When he’s doing his thing, being who he truly is, he takes OFF his mask…those big ol’ black-rimmed glasses. When he’s doing what he was made to do, he’s doing it fully revealed, more himself than any other time.
Today, there is a heart-cry in our society for authenticity. We’ve been disappointed over and over by those who, come to find out, aren’t who they said they were. Certainly that’s the case on the national Christian scene…but, if we’re honest, maybe it’s true in our own relationships with other believers. If we’re even more honest, maybe we’ve been the cause of another’s disappointment. And perhaps that disappointment wasn’t due to something unsavory revealed in our lives, but because we were unwilling to reveal anything real in our lives. Why the masks? I wonder sometimes if, as women, our very DNA includes the chromosome labeled “image.” And behind image lies the word “pride.”
A precious friend and I were talking the other day about this weird phenomenon that sometimes happens where Christ-followers tend to get less willing to be real the longer they follow Jesus. Isn’t it supposed to be the opposite? And I wonder if it’s that ol’ image/pride thing that keeps us from setting aside time to share our lives one-to-one with each other at the kitchen table…church programs can be so much “safer” and more convenient, yes?
Dream for a moment. What would our lives look like individually if we took off the masks and relied solely on God’s power to do what He’s planned for us to do? It would mean hopping off the pedestal…it would mean being just the “signpost”….it would, indeed, be humbling… Think further: What would be the impact of God’s women in the world if, once and for all, we chose to remove the masks and crusade against our own pride and fight for truth…real, authentic, life-sharing, relational, humble truth.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What area of your life are you hiding behind pride? Would you be willing to share that area with another believer whom you can trust and who will hold you accountable?
2. Consider what you do in ministry for God. Is pride hampering you in any way? Will you surrender your image over to God for His safekeeping?
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 5:5-7; Ephesians 4:1-7
Elizabeth is a wife, mother to three grown daughters, and Director of Connecting and Women’s Ministries at Oakwood Church.
