I think the reason it's easier to put on a good face when you're around people you don't know is because of that very thing: you don't know them, they don't know you so you must present yourself in a decent light. And no one is going to think that being their normal sinner self would qualify as "decent." So we grab our mask on the way out the door and do our best to impress everyone we come into contact with.
The Mask. We try to cover everything, to make ourselves out to be better than we actually are. Besides attempting to convince others we have no struggles (like we talked about earlier this week), we like to put our best foot forward. We like the idea of people thinking we're a good, loving Christian. So we're kind, we smile, we serve. But when we go home at the end of the day...What then?
I'll tell you what. We hang up the mask and we let the ugliness show. We treat our family as sub-humans who are there for our benefit - to make our lives better and to bend over backwards doing it. I know this is how bad it can get for me. But maybe not you. Maybe instead of a total switch-flip, it's more like the mask you wore was really only needed for half of your personality. Maybe you're really awesome at loving people and being cheerful, but you get home, take off the mask and you realize it's a whole lot harder to love the people you see all the time. I mean, how can you love and serve people whose faults are clear as day to you? They surely don't deserve it! So why do it?
I'll tell you why: because God said so. No, really, He did.
In Matthew 22, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is. He explains that number one is to love God and number two? Love others (vs.35-40) "But it says your neighbor, not your family." You're right, it does! But who is our neighbor? Another guy asked Jesus this same question in Luke 10. Jesus replied with a story about a Jew who needed help. This man was passed by by those who should have helped him. The person who ended up taking care of him was a Samaritan, an "enemy" of Jews. Jesus concludes that it's mercy that makes someone neighborly, not location (vs.29-37). It's going out of your way to meet a need. Can this be done at church or the grocery store? Definitely. Should it be done at home as well? You bet.
In the biography of C.S. Lewis I'm learning a lot about his home life once he was a grown adult. He was responsible for the welfare of his friend's mom and sister. This was the fulfillment of a promise he made to that friend when they were in World War I. Lewis promised that should his friend die, he would take care of the family. Well, he stayed true to his promise and years later the family is living in a place called The Kilns and his friend's mum is old and she just makes life miserable for everyone, especially Lewis. He so easily could have found an escape at Oxford where he taught but he didn't. He chose to spend time at home and not only that, he was constantly serving this woman. He lived out his Christianity in an amazing way.
That's the kind of Christian I want to be. I want to be someone who not only has a good relationship with God when I'm reading my Bible. I want to walk out of my room afterwards and put into practice what I read. I want to be someone who doesn't just love those I see outside of the home, but who shows a deep love for those closest to me, the people I live with.
What kind of a Christian do you want to be? Let's throw away our masks, guys. Let's not have a need for one. Let's be the same Christian at home that we are out and about. Let's love our neighbors!
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