The Danger of Wearing Masks

Thank you for joining me today. You are literally witnessing God doing the impossible. I have know technological background. Up until now, I’ve avoided social media, and I’m a huge introvert who prefers to hang out in the background of rooms and spaces, but God had a different plan. So, if you’re standing on the brink of a terrifying decision, assignment or opportunity, let me be the first to tell you, sometimes you have to do it afraid. With every word I type, trust me, I know. So I don’t come to you today, or any day, as one who has it all together or who has figured out the secret to living an abundant life. Rather, I come to you as one who, from experience, can tell you what it’s like to be broken in a million pieces and put back together into someone you don’t recognize but deep down always knew you were. I want to share with you the lessons that I’ve learned from the valley from the one who carried me out and through to the other side. Mine is a story of grace and redemption and I want to pour into others who may be in the midst of the valley. I want you to know that the valley is not your destination, rather God is and God will carry you and help you find your way.  

I know like me, many of you, can attest that life has been filled with hills and valleys and that one of the ways we’ve learned to cope is by burying the pain we’ve picked up along the way. Every morning we start by donning our masks and walk out to brave another day. People ask how we’re doing and we lie and say, “Fine,” when the truth is that we’re broken inside.

If that is you today, let me first say that I’m sorry that you are in this season. Life can be hard, but it’s even harder when you’re trying to do life alone. And there are many reasons that we hide, but living in isolation is the most dangerous place you can be. We’re meant to live in community and to live in relationship with others and with God. And when you hide, you cause harm to all of those relationships and yourself.

When you hide, you make yourself vulnerable physically, mentally and spiritually. You can research it for yourself but I know you’re busy so I did it for you. Suppressing your emotions long term can cause stress, which over time can lead to anxiety, depression, chronic illnesses, weight gain, reduced immune function, ulcers, digestive issues, headaches, and the list goes on. Feel free to ask your doctor and look it up for yourself but my guess is that it’s something you already know; you just don’t know what to do about it.

Hiding also comes with a spiritual cost. When you're in isolation, the enemy, the devil (If I'm the first person to tell you that he actually exists and doesn't like you, my apologies) seeks to destroy you and your peace by whispering lies like, "You're not worthy; You're not loved; You're a failure; God doesn't love you; God has abandoned you", and you believe these lies because you're tired and you're alone with your thoughts.

We were meant to live in community. We’re actually created for relationship. When you get tired, you need someone to hold you up. When you’re drowning, you need someone to throw you a life preserver or to jump in the deep end after you. And when the enemy is flooding your heart and spirit with lies, you need someone to speak life and truth over you. You need someone to be honest and remind you that God will never leave you nor forsake you and God does and will always love you.

Some of you may be reading this and thinking, but Tiffanie, what do you do when the very people that you’re in relationship with are the people causing the stress and hurt and pain and when I try to talk to them, they don’t listen; it actually makes it worse. That’s why I hide. I won’t tell you I understand what that is like for you and I can only imagine how hard it must be to feel like you have to live in hiding as a way to survive. I can tell you that I know first-hand how detrimental hiding and secrets can be, not only to your personal health and well-being, but to your relationships and spiritual health as well. I can tell you that boundaries are biblical, and that Jesus didn’t die for us to live in hiding. He died so that we could live with an abundance of peace, joy and love, and that He desires for us to live in and be supported by a loving community. I can tell you that it was my community that supported me when I was walking through the valley and helped me to walk in purpose. It's because of my community that I'm writing to you today.

If you can't talk to the person or people you’re in community with, I encourage you to speak with a counselor, a therapist and/or a spiritual director, and I encourage you to speak to God. Whatever you do, please don’t use your mask as a coping mechanism anymore. You’re too important too live in the shadows. You deserve to live fully loved and accepted for who you are, and amazing child of God. My prayer is that you can walk in that assurance today.