As I took my nightly shower, my eye caught a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy hiding behind the worn bar of Dove soap. Like it’s prone to do in the shower, my mind wandered about the essence of Turtle Power. While I let the conditioner penetrate my scalp, I had the strange thought:
why do the turtles wear masks?
Life changing, I know. But how many giant talking mutant turtles are walking around this created world that make masks a necessity? Call me crazy but whether or not they hide their identity is probably the least important thing for the gang to worry about. I mean what is the intelligence level of the city they protect that they are baffled at the turtles true identity? And this leads me to think about us (call us the not so Teenage all too Human not too Limber People). I wonder if the way I looked at this shower turtle is similar to the way God sometimes looks at us. We so often hide behind the things of this world to keep our true identity hidden. Meanwhile God is saying why the mask? I can still see you.
We might not admit it, but we so easily hide behind our accomplishments and that which demands our time. We so readily answer “busy” to any question remotely asking how we are. It’s almost as if we want others to understand our importance by the lack of free time we possess. We must be important, look at all the things that fill our life. When I am honest with myself, I fall into this category. I want so much for people to find me useful, intelligent, and funny that I will pepper each conversation with a dizzying wit and humor. God forbid I be myself. God forbid I let the mask fall and show the real me, the me scared of failure and a sense of not measuring up to an unrealistic self-promoted standard.
And my Lord quietly nudges me to quit the act
Today, what identity are you prone to hide behind? What would it look like to drop the mask and root your identity in the confident presence of a reigning God? We have all been there. We are all turtles hiding in a shower. But God wants us – the real us – to interact with this fallen world. Make no mistake saint, we are not significant because of what fills our days, but by the lineage our savior purchased for us at Calvary. Today, let us drop the act.
Lord, thank you for giving us a new identity. Thank you for letting us be who you created us to be without fear of rejection. Let us rest in the identity you give us. Thank you Father.
Matt simon blog 