Make It Out Alive: A 5 Day Devotional by Kristian StanfillНамуна

Show Me Who You Really Are

If you’re anything like me, you are prone to posturing and putting your best foot forward to impress people. It’s a temptation we all face every day. Being surrounded by images and videos of other people who seem to have it all together, we can start believing that perfection is achievable. We buy into the lie that if we want to participate in God’s unfolding story, then we can’t have any flaws or weaknesses. So, we work to hide the broken parts of who we are. We try to cover up our humanity. We stuff the shame, hide the addiction, and don’t talk about the anxiety or depression. I’m guilty of it. I think we probably all are. All this hiding is exhausting.

It’s one thing to put on a happy face or play the game when we’re with other people, but when we read about how intimately God knows us, we realize our attempt at coming to our Creator with any pretense or false motive will always be unsuccessful. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” – Psalm 139:1-5

He sees through the mask and the charade; He knows who we really are. And here’s the beauty of it all… He loves us.

Being someone of integrity starts with being real with God. Before we attempt to be real with other people, we must be willing to take the mask off in the presence of our Father. This looks like letting Him walk through every space in our life: every dark shadowy corner and every room that has been locked up for years. Jesus doesn’t force himself in. He has offered everything for us, and He invites us to simply receive it. When we do, we open the door of our hearts so that His glorious light can spread into every facet of who we are. We learn there is safety in this open-door policy. He doesn’t shame, judge, or make us feel small. He meets us in our brokenness, empathizes with us, and through his constant love, ushers in a beautiful process of redemption and deep healing. He’s not afraid of our flaws. He’s not intimidated by our brokenness. His grace flows deeper than we could ever fall and goes further than we could ever run.

Let Him in and be transformed by His love. Learn the gentle rhythms of His grace. Lean back into His embrace. Take Jesus up on his invitation.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30