12/06/2022
Christmas can be a difficult time for many of us for a variety of reasons. Some are so busy and distracted, that Jesus can get lost in the shuffle. Others feel isolated, lonely and perhaps are unwilling to let others see their vulnerability. Let’s face it, in either case, we live in a culture infatuated with appearance. We try to look like someone we’re not. We want others to think we do things we don’t, and we don’t do the things we do. We wear masks. We polish our image and protect our profile.
In 2005, Colin Dowse, an entrepreneur, invented and marketed a spray-on mud for suburbanites who drive 4x4s and want others to think they spent the weekend driving off-road in the country. His business skyrocketed (Heather Zempel, Big Change, Small Groups, 102).
Dowse said, “With spray-on mud, they can make it look like they’ve been off-road instead of just driving to the shops and back.” According to The Guardian, “Spray-on mud can help give your friends, family and neighbors the impression you’ve just come back from a day’s shooting, fishing, or visiting friends who live on a farm.”
How many of us show up on Sunday mornings at a church service with spray-on worship faces? With spray-on spirituality? With spray-on generosity? With spray-on smiles? Or worse, don’t show up at all because we don’t know how to wash away the guilt or shame we perceive to be all over our faces?
Trust me, keeping up appearances can be way harder than putting down our mask and accepting our true identity in Jesus Christ. We don’t think so, however, because of fear. We’re afraid of being exposed. We’re afraid people won’t accept who we really are.
The truth of the matter is, Jesus already sees the real person behind the mask,
and He loves that person. You can stop hiding from Jesus.
When you step into His light, all your darkness will go away. And when you experience His transforming love, you won’t need to spray-on your spirituality, because His Spirit will already begin working through you.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. . . . The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:1, 16-17a, ESV).
You don’t have to spray-on your spirituality when your life is integrated with Jesus. It’s time to put down the mask and be the person Jesus created you to be. Integrate your character with the character of Jesus Christ, and your spirituality won’t be something you spray on before you go to church. Because of Christ, we can invite everyone to come just as they are to our compassionate Savior.
