You look forward to the evening once a year when adorable kids come to your house and knock on your door, saying “Trick or treat.” Dressed up as princesses, ghosts and superheroes, they proudly wear their masks and costumes. You try to guess which neighborhood child is hidden behind the mask and makeup as you hand out treats.
Seeing the Real Person
It isn’t as much fun trying to figure out the real person behind the masks that many adults wear. Their masks may be bright smiles hiding a broken heart, a grumpy face to disguise loneliness, or a blank face that pretends not to care. It’s far too often that we accept the mask as the true value and never bother to notice that it isn’t real.
When you minister to people, you will see a lot of masks. These masks may be harsh or even hurtful. Instead of giving up because we don’t like what we see, it is important that we try to get beyond the mask. We must love the unlovable as Jesus did. It is only when people begin to feel safe that they are able to remove the mask and be real.
That is when we know we are getting to the heart of ministry and making a real difference.
Getting Real
At the same time, we must be sure that we are not guilty of doing the same thing. Maybe we have been hurt in the past, so we wear a mask to protect us and keep people from getting too close. We may put on a happy face at church or even a sincere face when we are serving in our areas of ministry. Perhaps we try to “look good” so others never learn about our deepest, darkest secrets.
God can use those dark places where we’ve been in our ministries but only if we bring them out to the light. Maybe no one knows that you were abused when you were young or that you suffered from addiction. Instead, they see your smiling face that covers up your scars.
It is those scars that people can relate to if we are brave enough to show them.
Just as you aren’t really reaching people with your ministry until you are able to help them remove their masks, you aren’t really ministering as long as you wear one of your own. It’s funny how people can spot a fake immediately. They put their guards up and tighten their own masks because they aren’t sure about you.
Make certain that all of your motives and actions are sincere and let others get to know you. When you prove that you are being real, you encourage others to feel safe enough to remove their masks as well.
Begin the process of being real by telling us in the comments what mask you are going to remove. How can you be more sincere in your ministry?
