When God created us, we were naked and unashamed. My guess is that there was little distinction between the visible and invisible world. The longer time goes, the more man creates a divide between the visible and invisible and hides his real self.
How likely is it that you’re going to meet someone’s real self at church? We ask each other, “How are you?” But most of us don’t really want to know or say.
What about in our family? So many people marry who they thought the other person was, or who they wanted them to be, and then wake up the day after the wedding to the real person.
How likely is it that you’re going to meet your real self? We’ve found so many distractions and self-medications that keep us from facing who we really are.
Very few people will disclose their real self to others, God, or themselves. Instead, we have created more and more places to hide. Texting, Facebook, and other media let us become close friends from a distance, but we can disappear whenever the relationship feels like hard work. Hollywood creates imaginary relationships for us to passively watch. They’re acting, we’re watching, and no one’s actually connecting.
All of this makes our planet a lonely place to live.
“The solution’s simple,” we say. “Just take away the mask.”
But here’s the problem. So many times when we let people behind our mask, they hurt us. Many of us got hurt for the first time way back when we were little children.
And here’s another problem. I know how self-centered and clumsy I can be. I’m afraid I could hurt you. Then you will either hurt me back or leave me because that’s all I deserve.
I want a close, connecting relationship with you. I think you want one with me. But I’m afraid and so are you.
Safe, healthy relationships are rare, aren’t they? They take a lot of hard work.
Run strong and finish well today,
Phillip