I wear my purple (of course!) mask in public. It’s mandated in Colorado. I wear it because it’s the right thing to do, it protects others, and it reminds me not to touch everything in sight! Many of my sisters in Christ have made and distributed masks. Thank you all! This is a new and challenging world for us, and we are all doing what we can to safeguard ourselves, our families, and those with whom we come in contact.

Scott and I made a trip to Colorado Springs (an hour over the mountain pass) this last week. We picked up the windows for the shop he is constructing, and we ran other errands. Everywhere, people wore masks. It was entertaining to see all of the different styles and colors. “I do hope this ends soon, though,” I thought to myself.

Then I thought about how we tend to wear masks of a different kind. I certainly am guilty of wearing masks for the wrong reasons at times in my life. Have I worn a mask of apathy when I should disagree with what is being said or done? Do I wear a mask of conformity to the standards of this world when I should be protesting violence, hatred, and opposition to the standards of our Lord?

Sometimes it may seem easier to hide behind my own personal beliefs and my own ideas of what is right and wrong rather than to look to God for guidance. I searched for the word “mask” in the Bible — nothing. I searched for the words “conceal” or “cover up” and these verses, among others, came up:

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered inprivate rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops (Luke 12:1-3).

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

It made me think and, I hope, it will make me more aware of the times when I wear a mask that does not reflect Christ. Each morning, I ask the Lord to give me the strength to be the person He wants me to be, to say the things He would want me to say. I think I will add to that prayer that I always reflect His love and stand strong in His truth.

I looked up “mask” in the thesaurus, and some of the synonyms were to “shield, cover, camouflage, and disguise.” The masks we are now wearing in public are to shield and protect those around us. But I will seek my Lord’s guidance as I do my best not to wear masks that hide my Christianity.

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,
Debbie