Entry 8: PRETENDING
The Great Pretender.
Our authenticity is what brings us closer to Gods Unfailing Love.
PRETENDING
It is common to develop a really good facade of “okayness”
If you grew up in a home where you needed to be one flavor,
one way, one acceptable - needless - stoic - shut down way,
it makes sense that you might have developed a facade, wearing what I call the “Great Pretender Mask.”
But you were not created to be one way,
one flavor, one emotion, one way,
one acceptable -needlness -stoic -shut down way.
That is a clever tactic of the enemy to keep you suppressed, oppressed, and possessed.
Let’s stop that right now! In the name of JESUS!
In order to rip off the Great Pretender Mask we have to know we are wearing it!
How do you know you are wearing the Great Pretender Mask?
Here are a few signs:
You get a sense you need to stay silent when you are feeling something significant
You were told you were “too much”
You were told you were “too sensitive”
You were told you needed to “be quiet”
You were told to silence your tears, get over it quickly,
and calm down, when you just needed to express how you were feeling with someone safe.
When you put that Great Pretender Mask on it leads to a dysfunctional way of relating with your own self, with others, and with God.
Like beating your head against the wall and saying "no, it doesn't hurt, I am okay, I'll be fine..."
But you are really not feeling fine, or okay ~ At All!
Pretending to not feel pain when you clearly do feel pain is an invitation to allow yourself some inner healing and to ask Jesus to come into your heart for some deeper transformation.
You are not alone. You are so not alone! Many have experienced this, and I want you to know that there is hope!! This mask can create a prison that you might not be aware of. When you become aware, you might think you cannot get out of the pattern of pretending because that would mean you’d have to feel and fully experience what you really feel. But when those parts of you are held with care, you will heal. The parts of you that are wounded can get out of this dungeon with the support of a trusted person who can listen, listen, and listen some more!
We need the Holy Spirit, Jesus, God and others who are able to skillfully support.
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Pretending is a survival strategy, a coping mechanism that creates an illusion that you are empowered when in fact you are actually bypassing, staying stuck, and making it okay for dysfunction to continue.
I see many pretending, and I want to write these words to talk about pretending and how it breaks my heart to see pretending linger on and on, enabling the patterns of dysfunction to continue on and on, when there is another way ~ stopping the cycle and making a stand for real life. Real healthy soul-honoring relating. Real connection with God. Real connection with others. Authenticity and Truth, Mutuality and Respect waiting to come through with bold actions toward real relating as the foundation for our living.
Pretending creates a prison that one that can be walked out of. YES we can walk out of this prison!!
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I believe we need the blood of Jesus, a relational connection with Jesus and others who are strong enough, who have taken the Great Pretender Mask off themselves so we can all walk out of “pretend land.”
The power of the blood of Jesus is like no other!!! He makes it possible to walk straight out of pretending, into feeling, into surrendering, into trusting, and then into the receiving of Gods Good and Perfect Love that casts out all fear ~ where there is ever-loving and provision. With Gods Love there’s no longer need to pretend.
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The enemy will tell you a lot of flat-out crazy lies to keep you pretending-pretending-pretending, but after awhile the lies become so exhausting and the TRUTH of who you are in JESUS CHRIST will come bursting through as you are set free from the LIES.
I used to be a great pretender. I am no longer a pretender! Thank you, Jesus.
Pretending can be put to rest with the power of Jesus Christ.
If you need support in reclaiming the wholeness that Jesus has for you,
please reach out and I will love to connect with you.
I believe in you.
If Jesus can set me free,
He can most definitely set you FREE!
A PRAYER FOR YOU
Dear God,
please allow me to feel all emotions for healing purposes only,
so that I may reclaim my human wholeness,
my identity
and authority
in You
Alone.
In the name of the Most High, Jesus Christ!
Amen.