I don’t watch or listen to a lot of news, but when I do, I often wonder about how genuine people are. How much integrity do we experience? This is also true in the church – in the group of people who profess to have a relationship with Jesus. 

Take the headlines. It appears that almost every day the mask people have worn is being torn off in someone’s life, and their lack of genuineness and integrity is revealed. 

Why do people wear a mask? Perhaps they feel the need to hide who they really are because of fear of rejection. Perhaps pride is the cause, but whatever the reason, it is so difficult to know if someone is being genuine.

I have a hard time wearing a mask, though there are times I might want to, but my expression usually reveals my thoughts. 

1 John 1:20 provides us with some insight into one who wears a mask: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” When someone wears a mask, they are hiding behind a lie, and liars have no place in God’s kingdom: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

God’s people MUST be known as people who are genuine, who have integrity, who walk in truth. Remember, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

God designed His followers to be a community. He expects us to be united together for His purposes. However, when people lack genuineness and integrity, this hinders the body of Christ – God’s true followers. I believe this exposes God’s people to the hand of Satan. God’s people are vulnerable to Satan’s tactics, when His people wear a mask.

In Matthew 7:5, Jesus stated: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” The word “hypocrite” can be interpreted as a mask. The problem this verse is addressing is the lack of integrity of those who claim to have a relationship with God. These hypocrites were not concerned about their own sin, but about the sin of others.

How do we move from wearing a mask to being genuine? It is the process of repentance. What is repentance? It is coming to a true understanding of God, which in turn reveals truth in us. For instance, it is knowing that God loves me, and wants only good for me. When I grasp that truth, I can be honest about the sin in my life, and desire to turn from sin to God. That is repentance.

But God expects people to be concerned first with our own integrity before we try to help someone else. Why would that be? To me, it makes sense that we cannot help someone else know the love and forgiveness of God, His mercy and grace, unless we ourselves have truly experienced it firsthand.

There is a saying, “You can’t lead someone further than you have gone.” Therefore, we must be certain that we truly live what we expect from others.  

Matthew 15:7-9 states: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Do you see the mask the people Jesus addressed were wearing? They spoke one way, but their hearts were truly in a different place. 

This cannot be so with God’s people. God expects us to have genuineness and integrity.

Does this mean we need to tell everyone all the details of our lives? Absolutely not.

But God does expect us to not hide who we really are.  

What does this look like? 

Perhaps you’ve had a situation arise in your life that is causing you anxiety. You go to church and someone asks you how you are. Without having to divulge all the details, it is ok to say that you have a struggle, and then simply ask the person to pray for you. True followers of Jesus will be ok with that. They will be glad you allowed them the privilege of knowing you need their prayer. Always be truthful. But you don’t need to disclose any information you are not comfortable revealing.

Remember, God is the One with whom we can share all the details of our lives. Afterall, He already knows them, and He simply wants to have a conversation with us about what matters to us. He wants to help us know Him better, so that we can live the abundant life He offers. This only happens when we grow tight with God.

I am reminded of what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-9: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.”

Wearing a mask, not being genuine with God and His people, lacking integrity, is not profitable. 

Are you prone to wearing a mask, lacking integrity? If you have trouble being genuine, why not find a God-fearing friend, who will not judge you, but is willing to help you know God more intimately so that you can walk with integrity?

Why do you think it is important to be genuine?

What do you think would happen in our churches if we were genuine? I think there would be less judgmentalism, because we would all see our own sin and want to help each other grow in our relationship Jesus.

You can reach me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

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Copyright 2024 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.