“…[B]y the grace of God I am what I am…”  (1 Corinthians 15:10)

“I am made all things to all men, that i might by all means save some.”  (1 Corinthians 23)

“…if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”  (Galations1:10)

“I am what I am and that’s all that I am… Popeye “The Sailor Man”

We’ve all seen it and we’ve all probably done it.  We see (2) two persons arguing and the phone rings and one of the arguers answers the phone with a completely changed tone of voice. This person has changes their voices in a split second.  Similarly, (2) two persons can be arguing on a Sunday morning, argue in the car on their way to church or sit in angry silence, but when these (2) two enter the church, they are holding hands and smiling!!!.  Like I said we’ve seen it or we’ve done it.

Presenting a united front or answering the phone with a happy voice is not wrong to do. It does, however show how quickly we can put on a mask. I’m not saying that there aren’t times to wear a mask.  (2) two arguing parents should not let their children see them argue and fight or to show the children that there is a rift in their relationship.  If parents can control their emotions and tempers and discuss a disagreement then, it may be appropriate to let their children see how a healthy relationship works and how to work differing thoughts, opinions, ideas, approaches, methods, etc out.  As Christ is our Example, we are examples to our children.

I will, at this point, thank God and my wife for (21) years of marriage, and (19) years of parenting.  My wife and I have had many trials and tribulations: illness, financial difficulties for a time due to the chronic illness, difficulties with controlling my pain management (Pain pills are as close to demonic possession as one can come without being actually demonically possessed). However, with all of the hardships and hits our marriage took, we were always one flesh, one love, and having the same outlook and approaches to raising our children and insulating our marriage from fiery darts. I have said for years that I know that have God’s favour. Scripture tells us when a man finds a good wife, he has God’s favour. I found…I was given a good wife.

Having said all of the above, let us now discuss the H(O)llow-ness of mask wearing and man pleasing.  It is hard and sometimes dangerous to wear masks and to be a man pleaser and to keep up a false front.  If a non-flying animal decided to put on the mask of a flying animal, that mask wearing animal would fall to the ground after it jumps off the precipice.

“It is what it it is,” is a very helpful deterent from trying to change what cannot or should not be changed. Likewise, a person is who s/he is. A person is not what we want them to be or wish them to be, they are not what they pretend to be. In other words, You are who you are or you is who you is. To wear a mask goes against who and what God wired you to be. It is tantamount to asking God why he has made you this way with a spirit of dissatisfaction.

There are times and there are places when and where mask wearing is appropriate. Our Lord disguised Himself at times. The difference between appropriate mask wearing and h(O)llow mask wearing is, the purpose, intent, and motivating factor behind the mask. If we wear a mask for the purpose of pleasing others, we are h(O)llow inside. On the otherhand, if we wear a mask with good intent and motivated by a a good purpose, we are acting appropriatley.  The danger comes when we trick ourselves into believing we are that person.

There is a common phobia of clowns. We know many persons that dislike clowns and we think you do, too. Why is it, that we are uncomfortable with clowns?  Methinks it is intrinsic, it is innate to be suspicious of those that are pretending to be someone they are not.  One who wears a mask cannot be easily trusted.

Why is it bad to be a man or person pleaser?    Why is it that we cannot please both, God and Man?  We cannot please both because fallen man and are diametrically opposed to each other. God is Holy, man is unholy and corrupt. Sin pleases man; Holiness pleases God. The unregenerate man is sin; God is Holiness. Therefore, to please man is to do what is wrong; to please God is to do what is right. I’m not saying that it is wrong to be good to others and to please others, what I’m talking about is pathology (Pathology = A person’s way, ie. the deviant path they are compelled to walk). Pathological man-pleasers are not confident, they do not see themselves as being complete inside, they find their worth in pleasing others.  A pleaser does not know who or what they are suppose to be. The pleaser, being  stuck in this vacuum of self identity, they take on traits of others they see as being complete. Another way a pleaser can be dangerous is when the pleasing changes into control and the pleaser decides they are owed something back.

Hats are different from masks:
We all wear different hats, I’m a Christ-ian, I’m a son, I’m a husband, i’m a father, I’m a brother, i’m an uncle, i’m a nephew, i’m a preacher, i’m a pastor, i’m a friend, I’m an enemy, i’m an ally, i’m a customer, etc.  We are many hats to many different relationships.  When we wear the right hat at the right time all is good, but if we wear the wrong hat at the worng time all is not good. If I wear a fathers hat when I’m with my wife I am being condescending. If I am wearing a son’s hat with my wife, she becomes more of a mother than a wife.  If we wear a pastor’s hat in another pastor’s church, we are stepping on toes and crossing lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

To Summarize:
Mask wearing can be appropriate at times.
Pathological mask wearing is not good and can be dangerous.
The right hat should be worn at the right time and in the right relationship.
One cannot please man and God; if one chooses to please man, one chooses to displease God. If one is to please God one will certainly displease man.
We are who we are and not who we might pretend to be or who others want us to be.
Others are who they are and not who they pretend to be or who we want them to be.

To be who we are Glorifies our Maker and allows us the liberty to be.