Okay… this one has been rolling around in my heart for a while. 😮🙏
Have you ever noticed how differently people protect themselves?
- The arrogant one needs to be the smartest in the room. They can’t say “I don’t know.” 😬
- The insecure one apologizes before she speaks, downplays every win, and waits to be asked… then says no. 😔
- The ashamed one stays busy, stays pleasant, and keeps everyone just far enough away that no one sees the real her. 🫣
Three very different behaviours.
But here’s what I’m seeing more and more, both in my own heart and in the women I coach:
We are often protecting ourselves from the same thing…
The fear of being seen as not enough.
(This may help you understand everyone you have in your life, or read about!)
Three Masks, One Question
Underneath, each mask is answering the same question: “Am I enough?”
- Arrogance says, “I’ll prove I’m enough before you can decide I’m not.”
- Insecurity says, “I’ll lower the bar before you do.”
- Shame says, “I already know I’m not enough, so I’ll make sure you never see it.”
Do you see the pattern?
The louder the performance, the quieter the fear underneath. 💔
It Started in a Garden
Genesis 3:7–10 tells us that Adam and Eve realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together. Then they heard God walking in the garden, and they hid. Adam said he was afraid, so he hid.
Fig leaves. Hiding. Blaming. The very first masks!
And Jesus saw the same thing in Luke 18:9–14. A Pharisee stands up front, listing all the ways he measures up. A tax collector stands far back and can’t even lift his eyes. One is performing worth. The other is convinced he has none.
Same question. Different mask.
And the thief on the cross that Jesus says would be in paradise with Him – who went home right with God? The thief had finally stopped pretending. 🙌
What If We Took the Fear to Jesus?
This is where the flipping (shifting our perspective) begins… 🤸♀️
People matter. Honest relationships matter. We aren’t meant to pretend we don’t feel the sting of comparison.
But no mask can ever give us what we’re really longing for.
Here’s the beauty…. Right after the fig leaves, Genesis 3:21 says God made garments and clothed them. He didn’t shame them. He covered them. 😭
And Romans 8:1 reminds us there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. None.
Yes, sure… we’ve heard that before…
But have we learned to experience it in our hearts, not just know it in our heads?
That’s where, yet again, listening prayer becomes such a beautiful invitation!
Let’s Try Flipping It!
Think of a moment this week when you reached for a mask. You got louder. You shrank. You hid. Maybe you said “I’m fine!”
1. What was I afraid they’d see?
Be honest. Not the polished answer. The real one.
2. Jesus, what do You see when You look at me in that moment?
Pause. Listen. Journal what comes…
3. Lord, how would You like to cover me there?
Notice what comes…? Perhaps a Scripture, a picture, a memory, or a simple thought comes to mind. Bring what you receive back to the truth of the Word and notice the fruit it produces.
An Example…
Let’s say I’ve just been in a meeting where I over-explained everything. Ugh.
I ask Jesus: “What was I afraid they’d see?”
“That I’m not capable.”
And then: “Lord, what do You see?”
And perhaps I hear:
“My daughter, you don’t have to prove anything to Me.
I chose you.
I delight in you.
You are enough in Me.”
😭🙌
What happens when we begin to receive THAT?
The mask gets less important and lighter. We can say “I don’t know” and laugh. We can celebrate someone else without feeling smaller. We can be seen and stay.
And we start to notice the masks on others with compassion instead of irritation. The braggart, the shrinker, the hider… they’re all just afraid. Just like us. 🌸
When Jesus meets us in the deeper places of the heart, HE becomes our covering, and we no longer need the fig leaves.
So, Here’s My Question for You…
Which mask do you reach for most?
Don’t just think about it. Ask Him!
Listen. Journal. Receive…
And enjoy discovering how He sees you! 🤩🥰🙏
Feel free to share what you hear in our Sacred Space FB group or in the comments below. I’d love to celebrate with you!
Need a hand with this?
Meet with a trained coach to walk with you through this process, or join other hungry women seeking the Lord together.
Honoured to journey together!
Merri Ellen 🙂
Meet with a trained coach to walk with you.
Join other hungry women seeking the Lord together.
Enjoy the books: “God, Show Me What You See”
or “God, Show Me More of You“
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