Let's Get Real

When I was in high school my mother and her husband (not my daddy) decided we were going to start going to church. It was a small denominational church that had a lot of man-made rules and old people that didn’t want anything to change. I was the only girl teen; the other two teens were my brother and a cousin. No Youth fellowship to be had! Understand, this was my first ‘formal’ introduction to church people.

The man my mother was married to was an abusive man, in every way. He would stomp around cussing and throwing fits, use humiliation as a disciplinary tool and, in general, made life a living hell. However, once we got to the little church, he put on his ‘going to Sunday meeting’ face and led the singing. The preacher was his uncle, a man of means that had proven himself successful in the business world and played the kindly old uncle at every opportunity. Unfortunately, should I get caught in a room alone with the guy he forgot the kindly uncle thing and made moves on me. Needless to say, my experiences and examples from these two scoundrels shed a strong light on ‘church people’ for this young woman. I learned not to believe or trust the face people show as they walk through the church doors. How sad is that?

Now, it doesn’t take a child molester to wear a phony face. I did learn that most ‘church people’ are not the devil incarnate. But I also was aware that many hide behind their ‘church face’ in fear that someone will discover their true identity and nature. This is incredibly sad to me. When we mask our authentic selves to show what we hope is a more acceptable persona, we are being unfaithful to man/woman God created us to be. We are, also, shutting the door on any relationships of depth with our fellow servants. You cannot love what you don’t know.  If no one knows the real you, how can they really love you? They can admire the mask you hide behind but doesn’t that make the sense of guilt even stronger and the need to hang on to the mask more urgent? You live in constant fear that you’ll trip up and the mask will fall away. Your biggest fear is realized and you wonder…who will love me now?

This was not what God ever intended for us. He created us to be unique individuals worthy of love for whom and what we are. Adam and Eve grabbed a fig leave to hide behind in their shame and people have been doing it ever since!
Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Casting Crowns have a song called “Stained Glass Masquerade”. Ever heard it? The lyrics are so good… here are a few lines.
So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

This song talks about the struggles many of us face deep down but can never show it in the church. How sad is it that we can’t be real with one another among brothers and sisters in the Lord!? Church should be the one place that we CAN show what’s inside!

God wants to tear down the barriers between our home life and our church life! He wants us to be transparent with one another. He wants us to love one another as He has loved us and receive one another as He receives us when we fail. This is how we grow individually and as a body. It might be a little uncomfortable, but it’s so necessary!

Let’s get real and keep it real, brothers and sisters! There’s so much work to be done!