“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14a (NIV)
During elementary school, my daughter was friendly and outgoing. But when she entered middle school she changed. Being friendly to everyone in sixth grade wasn’t cool. Peyton quickly found out if she didn’t conform to her friend’s new standards she’d be an outcast. Worst of all was the betrayal. When she didn’t change to be like her friends, they spilled her secrets.
That’s when it happened. Peyton started wearing masks to fit in and please people.
She hid her accepting and sweet personality, and lost her true identity. Almost like a masquerade ball, she’d wear a different personality or mask, acting in ways her friends would want.
There was only one problem. Peyton was miserable hiding behind her masks and pretending to be someone she wasn’t. Sound familiar?
I think most of us understand Peyton’s need to fit in. It’s one reason we wear our own masks. To please others. To hide our pain. To disguise fears and failures. We put on fronts to protect ourselves from an unaccepting world. And in doing so, we mask our true identity and lose our individuality.
Why do we keep up the masquerade? Because we want acceptance.
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