“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
— James 5:16 ESV
I was sitting on the porch this morning watching my human drink coffee and read his Bible. I was hoping for a biscuit, but he seemed to have something heavier on his mind.
Now, dogs don’t wear many masks. We’re pretty much what you see is what you get.
If we’re happy, our tails tell the story.
If we’re hurting, we find a comfortable spot and let somebody know.
And if we’re hungry, well, everybody knows!
People are a little different.
You can smile, shake hands, show up at church, and tell everybody you’re doing just fine while carrying a load nobody knows about.
No one knows what hides beneath the mask.
My human was reading James 5, where we’re reminded to pray for one another, confess our sins, and help each other along the way.
Seems simple enough, but I’ve learned that letting somebody see beneath the mask isn’t always easy.
People get busy.
Trust takes time.
And somewhere along the way, we learn to keep folks at arm’s length.
We’ll encourage somebody else to open up, pray with them through their struggles, and offer a shoulder to lean on. But when it’s our turn, we put on a smile and say, “I’m good.”
Sometimes we’re afraid of being judged.
Sometimes we don’t want to appear weak.
And sometimes we’ve been hurt enough that keeping people out feels safer than letting them in.
But that mask comes with a price.
God never intended for us to walk the Christian life alone. We need brothers and sisters who will encourage us when we’re discouraged, hold us accountable when we wander, and remind us of God’s truth when the world gets loud.
That kind of friendship requires more than sitting in the same room or sharing a Bible study. It requires honesty, trust, prayer, and a willingness to let somebody see the real person beneath the public smile.
Hebrews 3:13 tells us to encourage one another daily so sin won’t harden our hearts.
Notice that encouragement isn’t just something we receive. It’s something we give.
So maybe the first step is putting the mask down long enough to admit we need help.
Maybe it’s finding a trusted brother or sister in Christ and having an honest conversation.
And maybe it’s becoming the kind of friend who listens without judging, prays without giving up, and speaks truth with grace.
As for me, I’m going to keep showing up on the porch. My human needs his coffee, his Bible, and a good dog beside him.
But I hope he remembers that following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey.
We don’t have to pretend we’re strong when God has given us people to help us stand.
So, how about it?
What might change in your walk with Jesus if you finally took off the mask and let somebody walk alongside you?
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
