By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
As autumn approaches, stores gear up for the season by stocking every kind of costume and masquerade imaginable. Some masks seem inconsequential, while others offer a pretty convincing disguise.
It seems that some do not wait until Halloween to cloak their true identity. For years I disguised the real me by wearing a mask. My disguise was so convincing that even close family members didn’t know my true identity. I wanted people to believe I had it all together but in reality—I was a mess.
Pretending to be someone you are not is exhausting. My fear of rejection was so intense that I did everything I could to keep my true identity a secret. I reasoned that if others knew the real me they would abandon me. Keeping up this façade became a necessary evil to ensure love and acceptance from others. That was then… this is now.
God has taught me a very valuable lesson and I want to share it with you. Satan has power when things are kept a secret. However, the minute we take off our masks and reveal our true identity, Satan loses a whole lot of power over our lives. Not only does Satan lose power, but the most amazing thing happens. We give others permission to remove their masks as well. That’s when real healing begins!
Be true to yourself and save the mask for Halloween.
“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2)
