"Take Off The Mask"

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24

It's one thing when we wear a "mask" around others- having a pretense, not showing our true feelings, pretending all is well when it is not, pretending to be something that we aren't. And it's another thing when we wear one around God. He knows our true feelings. He knows what is behind the front we are trying to use to cover up what is really going on with us.

The man who came to Jesus on behalf of his child had to "come clean" with the Lord and tell Him that he believed He was able but his faith was weak. Many of the characters in the Bible- Moses, Peter, Elijah- even though great men of faith, had to admit to the Lord that they were weak in faith, that they didn't have it "all together", that they were "missing" it. The disciples were in the presence of Jesus and still they feared that they would drown in the storm. Even though Jesus rebuked them for not having faith, because they took the mask off and revealed their fears, they saw God work a tremendous miracle on their behalf and they received a greater revelation of who Jesus was-- "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:41b)

We have to take the mask off when we come before the Lord because it's in our weaknesses that His strength is revealed and made perfect. It's when we acknowledge that we are weak, lacking, don't have it, fearful, unsure, etc. that the door is opened for the Lord to step in an show Himself mighty and strong on our behalf. Take the mask off today, be honest with God, let Him know what's really going on with you-- after all, He already knows it, nothing is hid from Him, He sees inside the depths of your heart, He knows your thoughts even before you think them. He is waiting for you to admit it so He can intervene and help make you strong in this area.

Have a great day. Are you wearing a mask around God?