Before I met my Savior and took off the mask I tried so desperately to hide behind, there were only a few words that could describe me--none of which were happy.

I was depressed, angry, bitter, broken, and even suicidal. My entire life was a lie, and I was very aware of that fact. I deceived and mislead so many people. I would scream at the woman in the mirror and tell her how much I hated her on Saturday, and then I would be found the very next morning (on Sunday) leading an entire church in worship.

Living behind a mask is an awful way to live. Those who live (or used to live) that way know that no matter how much you try to rationalize the world around you and no matter how intricate the web of lies you fabricate is, you are always left with reality glaring at you, uncovered and exposed. Reality is this: regardless of how many people a lie can deceive, the person who originally told the lie will always know the truth. And that truth becomes a greater burden when lies are piled on top of it.

Another truth that those living behind a mask need to know is this: lies will never, ever lead to resolution. Lies can only lead to more pain, more problems, and more lies. It leaves you in a worse state and with a bigger mess than you had in the first place.

Lies (a mask) also cause the wearer to feel unwanted, disconnected, and alone. When you hide who you are and/or what is wrong with you, you isolate yourself from others. You keep others from being able to help you, and you begin to believe that no one understands you. It causes you to feel trapped, imprisoned, afraid, and alone.

The truth is this: you are never alone. People do understand. You are loved. You are wanted. And it is better to live without a mask than with one. I don't know if you realize this, but no one (except Jesus Christ) has ever been without fault. We have all had our shortcomings and our mistakes. We have all done things we shouldn't have, and we have all been broken and hurt. Why hide what others have been through? Why make things worse for yourself? Sure, the truth may not always be pretty, but the only way any of us can ever be healed and made whole is if we confront our problems head on and not back down in the face of adversity.

We are all stronger than we know. We are all more than conquerors, and we have all already been given victory through the One that came to save us while we were still at our worst. That One was Jesus Christ.

God sent His Son Jesus to show us how much He loved us all. Jesus, through His sacrifice, proved God's love for us, gave us the ability to be better and to overcome any and every trial, and set us free--free from pain, sin, lies, and bondage.

I have made a lot of decisions in my young life. I chose to lie, to drink, to deceive, and to cling to hurt and unforgiveness. I made the decision to hide behind a mask and pretend I had it all together. All of those choices made me miserable. I almost chose to kill myself because of the misery I felt.

Later, I made other choices. I chose to run to God, to let go of all of that pain, to stop living in sin, and to forgive. I chose accept the fact that Christ died for me and to let God love me the way He has always wanted to. I chose to take off my mask and live for God, and that was the best decision I could have ever made. That choice set me free.

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
John 8:36 NKJV