Today is Halloween. Millions of kids and adults will be dressing up. Some will be dressed as their favorite television character, some as a popular celebrity, and others as a scary monster or villain. Whichever one they choose most if not all will have some kind of mask or paint on their faces.
As a kid I remember the plastic mask that I wore. The ones that had a matching outfit to wear over your clothing. One year I dressed up as “Barbie”. I grew up in a home where we could not dress up as a scary character. Only friendly masks and or costumes were allowed. However, for some strange reason, we were allowed to watch scary movies on television. You know, the old fashioned black and white ones. (No colored TV back then). Do any of you remember Shock Theatre with Dr. Shock and Ding Bat? They were on late Saturday nights. We could watch them as long as we promised to get up the next morning for Sunday School and not fall asleep during church.
What if our costumes were based on the attitude or secrets of our hearts? What would you be dressed as? Would you be a friendly character that others would come up to such as a child’s favorite character in a book, or maybe a Disney Prince or Princess? How about a funny clown? Would your “secret” costume bring joy? Would you be dressed as a villain? Maybe there is a dark side hidden within you. Not necessarily from Star Wars but something deeper. Our hearts can and do tend to show sometimes what we are feeling and or living on the inside. Would anyone recognize you in your secret costume? Would you be embarrassed to be seen in public?
Psalms 44:21 (NKJV) …for He knows the secrets of our hearts.
Don’t we all at times pretend to be someone that we really aren’t? We get up Sunday mornings and go to our closets and put on our hypocritical mask. We come to church acting like we’ve got it all together. When on the inside we are hurting and trying to cover up what is bringing us pain and discomfort.
I Peter 3: 3-4 (NKJV) Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold , or putting on fine apparel. Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
Proverbs 27:19 (NKJV) As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.
What if one morning you woke up and your face had changed its look to match the attitude of your heart? What would you do? Try to wash it off? Find another mask to cover it up with? Call in sick? Would you wake up looking like Jesus or Satan? Ouch! I don’t think I would look very pretty at all. I would definitely need a large paper sack to cover my face.
While it’s fun to dress up for Halloween, just remember that the other 364 days a year we still get up each day and wear a look on our face that the world sees. So the morning of November 1st let your face be one of encouragement that will radiate and shine Jesus to others. Be that one smiling face that someone will need.
Have fun tonight. Be safe. By the way, the Christmas shopping rush begins at midnight tonight. LOL.
Karen Pollard