There is a face that we hide till the nighttime appears, And what's hiding inside, behind all of our fears, Is our true self locked inside the facade.

 - from Jekyll & Hyde

 We all wear masks. That's not the issue. The point is that most of us have no idea how to take them off. Masking is a big problem, because continual masking results in serious relational breakdowns.

Ask yourself this question, "Do some of these relational breakdowns below remind me of myself?"

• I lose my objectivity in a crisis and I become the issue.
• I am highly susceptible to wrong life choices.
• I am unable to be loved or to love.
• I am highly sensitized to my sin and I judge the sin of others.
• I hide my sin and become vulnerable to even more sin.
• I attempt to control others.

If you found yourself in any of these, we can encourage you. First, God's grace specializes in imperfection. Relax. Second, the Father's love, expressed through others, is designed to melt your masks. Third, "trusting others with you" is essential for your masks to begin melting. (Many of our free vlogs, blogs, and podcasts will show you how to test the waters of this authentic life.) Finally, the little booklet Behind the Mask (available from www.truefaced.com) has helped thousands experience the biblical truths of grace that melt masks, and it might help you too.

Living an authentic life full of joy, where our life issues are being resolved, is not a minor issue with God. It's the gold standard of life in Jesus. And we want you to experience the "gold."

 

Written by Bruce, Bill & John - for the Truefaced community, www.truefaced.com

Are we really ready to change and grow?

I just read an introspective article by Dr. Alex Pattakos, author of the book “Prisoners of Our Thoughts” (www.prisonersofourthoughts.com). The article focuses on correspondence he had with actual prisoners, people locked away for years – or even life – in actual prisons.

”What is common and revealing in these quotations is that, even though they are facing a formidable challenge in life that none of us would ever like to endure, both inmates are able and willing to explore the meaning of their respective lives' moments, including those "moments" that are not so pleasant and may actually be extremely painful for them. Moreover, the inmates are demonstrating their willingness to own up to their own lives by discovering the meaning of any given moment, including those that came during their imprisonment. They are assuming responsibility for weaving their unique tapestry of existence, that is, what is their own life.

“Now let me ask you: if inmates in a real prison are able and willing to search for meaning in their lives, as well as exploring ways to change and grow, are you? Remember, we don't really create meaning; we find it. And we can't find it unless we look for it. Although we are not always aware of it, meaning is present in every moment, even in what may be viewed as the darkest hours of our lives.”

Here is a great post from life and business coach Molly Gordon on acceptance.

Acceptance is the foundation for all creative action. Acceptance is finding the “you are here” place on the map, the place you can take a confident stand and then move toward your goal. There’s simply no way to move forward if you don’t start from where you are.

The first pillar of acceptance is humility. Humility and its close relative humor exert a homeopathic influence: a small dose of humility and humor averts humiliation. It’s a whole lot easier to accept where you are with this pillar in place.

The second pillar of acceptance is wonder. Wonder enlarges our capacity to receive support from unexpected sources. When you accept what is with a sense of wonder, it is much easier to surrender control – which you don’t have anyway – and open to synchronicity, serendipity, and happy accident.

The third pillar of acceptance is willingness. Each time you set aside your own script in favor of reality and summon the willingness to cooperate with what is, rather than fight it, you are storing up energy, building momentum. With the pillar of willingness in place, acceptance shifts your orientation from resignation and resentment to healthy peace and ambition.

The fourth pillar of acceptance is desire. Ah, desire! When you tune into your deepest and truest desires and allow yourself to experience your longing while accepting current reality, you complete a circuit. Your acceptance is now the firm foundation from which you can move forward.