I had this thought yesterday as I put on my make up getting ready for church. Why am I covering my whole face? It seemed silly to apply foundation and concealer to the bottom half of my face, chin to cheeks when the entire time I would be at church they would be covered up by a mask. It got me thinking about why I wear makeup to church.
I’m not really a make-up girl, unless I’m going somewhere special filled with aquaintances or church, or I know my picture will be taken. I rarely wear it. In times of Covid I really don’t wear it. So I asked myself am I putting it on for me or for how I’ll be perceived by others.
I decided it’s how I want to be perceived, not frazzled. I was trying to put on a cover that I had everything together. When honestly none of us do. And church if church is a hospital for the broken hearted and the broken spirit then we all need to stop covering up our brokenness.
I’m talking more to myself and more about just make-up today. We can’t heal or be healed, we can’t be comforted or comfort if where not honest with each other in the body of Christ. We need to take of the things that mask our insecurities and put on what God calls us to wear.
In Colossians 3:14 AMP it says “Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in (unselfish) love, which is the perfect bond of unity, (for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others.) I want to be wrapped in unselfish love when I wake up in the morning.
Unselfish love is so needed and important today. So many people don’t know what that is. And its a principle we should be showing to each other everyday.
My pastor at Greenwood Christian Church, Matt Geibler, offered a challenge this week during service. He challenged all of us to pick one person in our lives to be kind to this week. He explained that that relationship would grow from being kind. Kindness is unselfish love. Putting others first. And for many of us who struggle with anxiety and depression sometimes that is telling our story because I bet as you share you will find there’s someone who’s story is not much different than yours. When we find someone who also struggles as we struggle we feel better. We can build each other up and help each other with our struggles.
We are so tempted to hold our anxiety inside. But keeping it inside only encourages us to spiral downward into depression. It’s ok to be anxious. It’s ok to share your feelings about being anxious. It’s the first step in getting help to learn how to cope with that anxiety. Because friend let me be the first to tell you it never goes away completely. It’s a battle you will have every day for the rest of your life and you need to know how to fight and you won’t know how to fight unless you share your story with someone who does.
Share your brokenness, Share your grief, share your struggles. Allow others to share their brokenness, grief and struggles with you. Pray for each other. Love each other with the gift of hearing and seeing each other. Give each other grace and mercy. If we church live a life like this inside and outside. Our cups will remain full and those outside the church will see what their missing.
2BecomeBrave 