Unmasking Yourself

 

Most of my life, I never had many friends, and if I did, they always found some excuse to leave me. I dealt with a lot bullying for many years in school, and became very insecure in who I was. I am naturally more of a quieter person, but after dealing with all of this, I really shut myself off to everyone. I built this huge wall around myself, and would grow it bigger every time I was hurt. It caused me to feel so insecure in who I was, I would hate how I looked, how God made me, and I would never talk because I became so afraid I would be judged or would say something wrong. I believed people did not care about what I had to say or who I was and so, I would hide in my shell where at least I was partially safe from being hurt. Masks...masks are such a huge problem for so many people, and became too easy for me. It was scary how easy it was for me to put a mask on and show who I wanted people to see. It became a regular thing for me to cover up how I was really feeling and only show the parts about myself that I was confident about. It is natural for us as humans, to throw on a mask whenever we feel insecure or hurt, but it is so harmful to ourselves. By throwing on a mask, you are covering up the amazing person that God has created, and saying “ I don't like who I am, and I want to be someone else.” It can also become so draining to act and look different than who you are, and you can develop a lot of anxiety and depression. I finally found a way to take my masks off and throw them away for good, when I went to Bible College. I had not realized how many masks I had that I used, until I became closer to God and learned the truth about who I was. 

God used friends at bible college, and the situations around me to reveal to me who I really was and that I was made perfect. God held my hand, and showed me that it is okay to become vulnerable and open up to people, because I was safe in His arms, and that with Him I had the courage to do so for the first time in my life. No matter what people tell you who you are, your worth is not found in them, but only in God and who he says you are. If you rotate your focus on God and only on God, you will be able to find the courage deep within to rip that mask off and say, “ This is who I am, I am a child of God and I am perfect!” There is always going to be people in your life who will try to tear you down, but if you find the right people that God has for you, and they are out there, you won't feel the need to cover yourself up. God made you for a reason, and he does not make mistakes. Taking that truth and walking with God, is only when you will be able to be free of the masks and live out who you really are!