Trying to Hide

Do you ever hide?  Like when you were a child and played hide and seek with your friends and had one spot in particular that was perfect and you’d go for it every time?  As a child wasn’t that the best?  No one could find you and you’d never be the one that was caught.

But what about now, as an adult and a person of faith?  Do you ever hide now?  What do I mean?  In my personal experience, most modern day people wear two faces, public and private.  The public face is the one they show everyone else, obviously.  And the private one, well that’s the one with the scars, the marks, and all your flaws for full view.  But we only let a select few in to see that face.  Why is that?

Many will say it’s because they are private people, even a person of faith.  They create a persona, an image.  They are wearing a mask in public.

Personally I made a decision a long time ago, unbeknownst to me then, but quite obvious to me after this morning’s devotional, to not wear a mask.  What you see is what you get in my life.  I’ve actually been told that I’m wrong in doing it this way, but in 2008, I realized it was just way too much effort to switch from one personality and way of being to another and frankly, it was useless when the One I was seeking to please always saw beyond the mask anyway.

What do I mean?

How many times, as a person of faith, have you sat there and thought to yourself, none of my Christian friends are going to know if I do this one wrong thing?  I will admit, I have.  But then I would get this moment of conviction where the question in my heart would be raised, who are you trying to please?

Today’s reading for me was from Psalm 51:6, which was based in the time period when David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, then murdered her husband.  For those who know me well, food and sports are analogous of many things for me.  This particular chapter reading was just the vegetables of the meal.  It wasn’t the meat and potatoes as it were.  For me the meat and potatoes of it is this particular verse from Colossians 3:23 – 25.

23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

How does a New Testament set of verses complete the meal?  Simply put, because no matter how hard you try or how clever you think you are, you can’t hide from God.  He made you.  He fashioned you uniquely.  He formed every single part of you from the top most part of your head to the smallest bones in your ear.  He knows you and has more knowledge of you than any person on this planet and there is no hiding anything you do from Him.  David tried to hide his sin and only managed to hide it from people, and God convicted him of it.

But for those who think this is all gloom and doom, it’s not.  There is hope.  See today’s reading for me also spoke of how God will forgive, if we come to Him with a broken and contrite spirit.  See, being arrogant in your sin, that’s folly because you are still wearing a mask, playing a part for man.  Don’t be a people pleaser and do things, even as a Christian, so people can see it.  Do things so He can see it.  Don’t put on a show for people.  If you screw up, own it.  But not before people, before Him.  Let the Holy Spirit break you.  Come to Him in confession and own what you have done.  Show Him your flaws and scars.  He’s still gonna love you.  You may have to deal with the consequences of what you’ve done wrong, but at least you are not hiding.  Not from Him or from anyone.

As a person of faith, a person who is born again, you don’t need to hide anymore.  No more split images.  Be one person, the person that is pleasing to Him.