Plastic People

I recently was driving in my car and a song that I hadn't heard in a long time came on the radio. "Stain Glass Masquerade" by Casting Crowns. So I'm listening to the words, and I just about start crying...I start thinking. It is so true. So often in today's churches we wear a "mask" we have to pretend like we are these perfect strong people who dont need help from anyone, sometimes even including God, or that we dont have any weaknesses, any faults, any problems. But that is SO far from the truth! We are humans. We are all desperate. We are all sinners. We are all facing struggles (some big and some small). We all hurt. We all cry. And most importantly we all need Christ. But we all need each other too. We are called to love one another as Christ loved us, and to bear one anothers burdens.

We are so often scared to show others, in the church especially, who we really are. To let our guards down. TO show our flaws. To ask for help, to seek encouragement, to seek prayer, and to allow others to come in and really just be there for us. We seem to be living on a "stage" and performing when we are in the church, yet when we go home, the costume comes off, the curtain drops, and we become the people we really are.

It's okay to be hurting. It is okay to have weaknesses. Be encouraged that in our weakness He is strong. Lets be examples, Godly examples to the world that we too hurt, and we too aren't perfect, but we can offer them in their despair the same hope we have...a hope of Christ and His return. Let's stop being these plastic people, we aren't barbies are we?, and instead be REAL!

Below are the lyrics:
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discoverThat I don’t belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the heart again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s tradedIn the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watchingCan we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the personThat you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay?