Is that your mom over there? What do you think of her? Isn't she the one who nurtured you since you were a little baby? Did she do a good job or not? If, in your opinion, she didn't do a good job and you didn't feel prepared for the onslaught of life “in this world,” then you may not be too pleased with the person standing over there who has the title, Mom, in your life. Perhaps you had a wonderful mother and you see her as a perfect example of what a mom should be.

Would others view her with the same joy?

What does she think of you? Were you a good child? Or did you cause her undue worry and frustration? When she sees you standing here, do all those memories flood over her, tinting the present moment, and the present “you”? Hopefully, she thinks of you fondly and remembers the joy she had in bringing you to adulthood.

How does your father see you? Were you a pleasing child, able to achieve, obedient and able to be trusted? Are you viewed as one who walks in the ways of God, trying to do His will in your life? How does your boss see you? Does she seem to be irritated or make you feel like a worthless employee? Does she think you are a prime employee, while your fellow workers seem to dislike you? Do you feel you consistently portray the same character to everyone you have contact with throughout each day so that they all have the same opinion of you? Or do you think your friends and church family see you differently than those who work with you or those you do business with throughout the week?

What I'm getting at here is that we are completely different people to everyone AND everyone is a completely different person to us. We all wear masks and we wear different ones for everyone we meet, depending on the situation. This means that this world of nearly five billion people really has billions and billions more because each of us sees every other person differently. We are all looking through the days, weeks, months and years of our history. In this fallen world we do not see each other totally, as we truly are, in Christ.

Wow! This can seem confusing and even absurd! Where is the simplicity that we so desperately need?

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Isn't that refreshing? God's Son, Jesus, shares that attribute. Again, refreshing. We, as God's adopted sons, can share that attribute as well. It just requires a little faith, a little understanding, and a little love. With God's help, all of us who've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and allow Him to be Lord of our lives, will become transformed as we walk in the light of Christ. With this transformation there will also be a change in how we see our fellow travelers on this foreign land known as earth. “What is that change?” you may ask.

Currently we are all affected by each other's opinions of ourselves. If I think badly of you and I go so far as to tell you, you, in turn might think badly of me. In your pain and hurt, you may go on to tell me and possibly tell others how you feel, spreading it all in a long, hurtful chain. But, if one of us were transformed by the living, breathing, never-changing Christ, Who is able to remove the glasses that blinds us to everyone's true potential in Christ, then, what do you suppose could happen?

Two things:

1. The hurtful chain would be stopped in its tracks, unable to wend and weave its weary way through this tired human race.

2. The person who was transformed by Christ, would begin to see through the eyes of the Lord, would begin to see potential, and in that fertile soil, the seeds of Christ's healing, cleansing and deliverance would be nurtured, watered, and nourished.

Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, was a killer of Christians. Jesus took one look at him and asked one simple question, “Why do you persecute me?” and with the blinding Christ light, Paul's eyes were opened and he became a fervent spreader of the Word, the good news. No longer did he seek to kill those who chose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their reconciliator to God.

What of those who needle, annoy, and depress us? They may not be as destructive as Paul, to the point of taking our lives. But the need and ability to see them as Christ sees them is there. We, too, can have some of the impact in our “tiny” lives that Christ had with Paul. Let's not underestimate Christ's potential through us, His followers. There are an amazing number of challenges in each of our lives. All we have to do is look around us to see them. Those "challenges" usually come in the form of people. The call to love is going to be upon us, if we are to see a change. God will first change us, after which the Holy Spirit may or may not use us to change others, but it will definitely be “fertile ground” in which His work will be done.

These annoying individuals were placed there by God, who knows our hearts. The first step is to “judge not,” but there is a second step. We must ask Jesus to help us see them through His merciful eyes so that the fertile soil is laid well at their soul's ground. No one is nurtured by criticism. Indeed, it is very repelling. But, with a good soil and in the Holy Spirit's perfect timing, when the seeds we sow begin to sprout, another soul will be led to the Kingdom and the Father will say to us, “Well done, well done”!

The bottom line here is do we want to be who we think we are or who we really are in Christ? Once we choose to be who we really are in Christ, by letting Him show us who we are and who we can be in Him, then HE can change us into creatures full of love and mercy. Then, praise God, all others locked in the worldly, carnal chains on this earth, may begin to see things in the illumination of Christ's light as they are seen that way by us. Remember God said, “What we do to others, God will do to us.” So as we allow the Holy Spirit to redeem our perception of others, others will allow the Holy Spirit to redeem their perception of us! Praise God for this! We must, however, be persistent and patient. Persistently know that what God said above is true and be patient with yourself and others as the truth is allowed to germinate, grow and manifest.

At first, when we begin to take off the masks of the different selves we are to everyone, it may seem we are putting on yet another mask: A mask of Christ. And we will truly feel alone if we are laughed at or made to feel ashamed. But, as we are compelled to pray more deeply and cry earnestly to Him for help, we will eventually see we are not merely putting on a mask of Christ. We are putting on Christ, Himself. By doing so, we are helping others see the various masks they wear may not give them the satisfaction or security they thought they would. In this fallen, upside down world, at first we will think we are simply putting on a new mask but, indeed, through Christ, all masks are being taken off and the truth is laid bare at last. The truth that sets us all free!

The many injured and dying are not just those who have physical hurts, they are those who have been injured emotionally and spiritually. Those injured are not as easy for us to spot if we are viewing the world through our carnal eyes because they often express their pain by wearing facades that lash out and make others feel pain, and even seem to get pleasure from this process. It is especially difficult to take on the “Good Samaritan” attitude when someone is lashing out at us, making us cringe in bewilderment and shock and pain.

But, if we step back a little and ask the Lord for help and take deep breaths and cry to the Lord, He will give us the love that is needed and the peace we desire, as well as make the soil around the hurting soul fertile for Him. We can be the Good Samaritan for the emotionally wounded as well as those who exhibit physical symptoms, especially if it isn't us doing the work, but our Father within. Before we can do this, though, we must have faith that through Christ, all things are possible. If we come at this from the vantage point of, “This person is hopeless,” Jesus will be unable to do His work through us. Let's not cut off His life blood. All souls are deeply desired by God and we have a major role in bringing them to Him. Let's remove our masks so we can see clearly, so we can be the tool He needs us to be to help others remove theirs.

Back

TOC

Next