MASK - In search of our True Identity

Last night a good friend and young lady that Laura and I get to mentor had her story videotaped at our Living Hope creative arts studio. Seeing her courage, her vulnerable, authentic surrender to what GOD SAYS about her was so inspiring. If you are at Living Hope this Saturday night or Portland on Sunday you will see her story. It so illustrates the mask of APPEARANCE. Beneath these cover-ups the deeper issue remains -it's our identity and who we believe we are that really determines our honesty and authenticity. Brittany's story is like so many others, she just wanted to be loved and accepted. It was so easy to tie on the mask of attractiveness.

Masks don't just cover up our realness, they set us up for temptations that lock us in addictive prisons and keep us from meaningful relationships. All medicating activities, things, and thoughts are nothing more than masks. They do work! But only for awhile, and then the hunger returns with great ferocity. It's now turned into a twisted hunger that can't be satisfied. Drinking, parties, or vegging out in front of the TV; it's all the same, a mask to hide from the lies we believe about ourselves. Drugs work or else they wouldn't attract us. But to medicate to avoid fears or difficulties is only to make the situation worse. The drug could be disguised through obsessions with our talents or work, but it's still there! Today I want to share a few minutes about the third mask so many of us use to falsely measure our value; it's the word, SKILL.

First a quick review of our value cover-up MASK:
Money I've been tempted to use the $1,200 Uncle or Aunt Sam sent me towards a BIG flat screen TV . . . what about you? How does money nibble away at you?
Appearance Diets, $30 a month on nails, clothing, jewelry, surgery . . . trying to attract others? What's your temptation? Does trying to "look good" become your value gauge?
Skill
To illustrate an extreme example of how tight this particular mask fits, I've chosen Michael Jackson. His contribution to music, entertainment, and music video art can be disputed or disagreed with, but he did have an influence on society (millions of dollars worth). Be it Michael Jordon, Jackson, or Fox - their talents illustrate the masks by which society often tells us we're valuable. Our accomplishments, what we do, now becomes the way we feel OK about ourselves. Muhammad Ali, our craze over American Idol, all of it is part of that mask that focuses on what we DO! We are enticed to become "human doings." Athletes use drugs, take money under the table, and often fall into addictive prisons because our society is so in love with this mask. It's an easy way to try and believe we're OK.

For males, this mask has been the primary way we find value. When our first parent, Adam, decided that God didn't know best, the natural consequence, a self-fulfilling curse was born. It focused on accomplishments and work, but it wouldn't allow for satisfaction. Sweat, that effort of trying to make something turn out ok, this curse still drives us to fill our days with more and more activities. Being in those moments with that amazing awareness of who we really are, God's kids, gets lost in our constant measurement of how much we've got done (even those numerous not-yet-done home projects can steal our peace).

I so struggle in this area. I compare myself with other's productivity, their contributions to society, their usefulness, and then I beat up on myself for not doing enough. My first memory of gaining my father's approval, and disapproval came in the area of work and how skilled I was. A great deal of our TV shows are gladiator types of competition that reward the most gifted, skilled, best performer types. Satan confuses our sense of what makes us valuable. When I don't hear or see any affirmation for "what I do" I began to doubt everything God says about me. This is my favorite mask. I love it and I hate it at the same time. This is a "regular" temptation of mine.

The very first murder in history bought into this mask. This older brother, measured what he did best against what his brother brought as a gift to God. Cain wanted desperately to have what HE did count! His struggle with trusting God's way brought intense anger. Seeing his brother's sacrifice accepted made him hate his brother. (Why didn't he try boxing with God? That's who really ticked him off.) In his rage he took the first human life on planet earth. His production, his work, his accomplishments were rejected as what counts most before God so he began to take life away from others. Do you think this is a dangerous mask?

How much of "who you are" is hidden behind "what you do?" Being honest with where I was, and running back to God, saved me from the loss of my wife in 1983. Instead of her divorcing me, I began to see that my "workaholic" obsession was just as dangerous as that person who used alcohol or other drugs to hide. Do I still struggle with this mask? Only about 16 hours a day (I'm doing so good at keeping track of my record that I think I'll make an Excel sheet to track my progress. . . help!).

"Be still and KNOW that I am God!"

"I've been in love with you and have accepted you even before I made you or this world!"

"All your accomplishments are lined up to do battle, but I'm the one who really brings victory."

Will you believe yourself more than God? Who knows best? Who can best define your value?