God Teaches Authenticity: Drop the Mask
When God teaches authenticity to Christians, He has a good reason. A popular work of art spoke to my heart about authentic Christianity and prompted me to write this devotion on being authentic.
Erik in The Phantom of the Opera lived his life so the world didn’t define him. He was lord over his domain, an underground lake and a private lair. His clandestine environment seemed godless and scary when I watched the movie. As I got into the script, I understood why he lived as he did.
He hid a painful secret. Concealed under a mask, a sunken eye and a half-noseless lump were surrounded by shapeless flesh. Not only did Erik hide his facial features, but he buried his heart deep to avoid feeling enormous pain.
The movie with its mystery and music drew me into The Phantom’s darkness. I was glad when a rising Swedish opera star, Christine and her Angel of Music, Erik, find what’s beautiful in each other.
Up until then, Erik only lived out dreams in his head. He continually wondered who would ever want him with half a face. Then, Christine aroused something new in him. What he imagined actually happened.
He took a chance to step out of his comfort zone and not care how he looked. He dared to embrace authenticity and live boldly. So, he removed his mask and planted a kiss on Christine’s forehead. Tears mingled and hearts melted. Passion overtook them and they saw loneliness, internal struggles, and forbidden love.
The Phantom of the Opera, the inspiration of author Gaston Leroux, delivered a message to my heart.
Namely, we all have phantoms lurking inside us, especially broken Christians. We run from authenticity to survive a lifeless marriage, a disease that devours cells, or debts that tower over us like King Kong. When pain is unbearable, it’s time to take a deeper look at who we are.
To be honest, sometimes what I see frightens me. I shrink back in disbelief at my hollow, carved-out shell of a soul. Up until then, like Erik, it hurt too much to be authentic. None of us want others to notice a life shredded by heartache. It’s easier to disguise pain rather than face it head-on with God.
But as Christians, none of us need to do that. You and I can step closer to sincerity and credibility, be free from disguises and finished with deception.
God Teaches Authenticity By Seeing Ourselves Differently
Erik, In The Phantom of the Opera, struggles with normalcy. Deformed from birth, he wanted affection. His mother ran from him because his face repulsed her. No one loved him as he was. His disfigurement was off-putting.
He was a human being with a mind, body, and soul. His mask betrayed what was inside—longings, the ability to love, a desire to matter to others, and live in peace.
Erik’s character represents those who are lost in the world without a Savior.
Christians don’t need to hide from God’s truth but run toward it.
God teaches authenticity. When we turn to God for spiritual solutions to problems, there are benefits.
- Receiving Freedom from sickness and disease: Jesus came to do the Father’s will. He healed those who received healing from Him. Meditate on these scriptures. Psalm 103 – He heals all your diseases, Galatians 3:31 – Jesus redeemed us from curses which includes sickness and disease, Numbers 21, John 3:14, and 2 Chronicles 30 are Old Testament types pointing to Jesus’ atonement for physical healing, Acts 10:38 – diseases are a work of satan, Matthew 9 and 10, Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus gave authority to His disciples and future disciples to heal all manner of sickness, Isaiah 53 – the literal translation indicates Jesus carried sickness. I’m not about to try to explain why people don’t get healed when prayed for. All I know is that scripture is clear that healing is God’s will and His nature.
- Living a purposeful life: Jeremiah 29:11 essentially says God has written a plan for you. It involves taking care of you, prospering you, giving you a future and hope. It doesn’t involve abandonment. Have you ever noticed that Jesus was never stingy with blessings? When you see Jesus at work, you see the Father’s heart. God wants us to look to Him for the overabundance we need, not just for ourselves, but for others.
- Enjoying others: New believers notice they are passionate about the lost and never were before. Anyone you meet might be someone who could live for eternity in hell. That knowledge causes a tender heart to intercede for strangers, no matter what their skin color. Real-deal Christians care about the needs of others.
- Becoming like Christ: A Christian going hard after God intends to become like Jesus. He emulates what it means to live a Christian life. We won’t be flawless like Him but having a passion for Christ means pleasing Him by not wanting to sin.
- Sharing your life with God: From the beginning, all God ever wanted was a family. He loves His creation and wants to be near them. He must never tire of our diverse natures and personalities. He relishes in our quirkiness. Above all, He wants us to trust Him.
- Living for Eternity in Heaven: God isn’t happy when people reject His Son. But when they do that seals their fate. The only way to the Father is through Jesus (John 14:6-7).
If you live as God intends, you won’t be a fake. Ask Him to point the searchlight in your direction to get a picture of who you are. That’s being authentic!
And, you’ll want God’s help to make changes.
God Teaches Authenticity: We Listen for Him to Speak
In my example about The Phantom, Erik responded to beautiful music. The sound flooded his subterranean world. When Christine sang, the notes pounded away at his head and heart. He listened intently for every melody she dispatched.
Similarly, Christians who train themselves how to be authentic yearn to hear God’s heavenly voice. They train their spiritual ears by following Daniel’s example in the Bible. He prayed regularly and was prepared to hear a message from God at any time. If he hadn’t, he would have been as lost as Erik living as The Phantom.
The still small voice of God speaks to a Christian’s spirit via the Holy Spirit living in them. Unless you get quiet, you’ll miss what He says. The more you know God intimately the quicker you hear Him. Before long, you discern His voice, your voice, and when the enemy of your soul speaks. Over time, you become more authentic by knowing God personally.
Living the Authentic Christian Life
As a hopeless romantic, I love The Phantom storyline. But I love Jesus more. I don’t want to wear the same worn-out masks that people wish I’d take off to stop the charade. A song and dance overture is okay at a performance but it doesn’t cut it in real life.
Authentic people aren’t fakes because Jesus charts their course. Authenticity reminds me of a T-shirt I once owned. A Coke symbol surrounded these words. “Things go better with Jesus, the real thing.” The shirt image has long faded but its message is still in my heart.
When God teaches authenticity to you, Satan, a pestering, never-give-up enemy, will masquerade as an angel of light. He will entice you to follow his lead. If you do, you’ll miss the beautiful plan God has for you.
Moreover, don’t take whatever comes and believe that’s how it’s supposed to be. Neither resign yourself to a ho-hum, passionless life. If you do, complacency rules and you live in the devil’s playground.
That’s what Erik did. He chose darkness over light and falsehoods above authenticity with the exception of one brief, illuminating moment.
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation. Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music of the night” (Quote from The Phantom of the Opera).
Don’t let the dark side sway you to follow its path. Stay in God’s presence continually, be honest about any masks you wear and join hands with God. He will teach you how to be honest, trustworthy, and genuine.