At this year’s Women’s Leadership Forum, we focused on living the unveiled life that Christ has given us through His sacrifice. Our key Scripture was 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit” (HCSB).
One main point was that living and leading the unveiled life we already have through Christ means we are being transformed into His image, for His glory. But many leaders are hiding something. They are running from it, holding on to it, or not finding healing from it.
But God wants us to live in freedom. In fact, here is what verse 17 says in this same chapter: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Although God can use women anyway He wants to and in and through any situation, just think how much more He might want to use us as we take off the mask we are hiding behind and live real, transparent lives.
Your healing influences healing in others.
In her book, Undaunted, Christine Caine says: “Have you been wounded? Is your heart shattered, covered with scar tissue? God has a great plan for your future, but if you have not dealt with the wounds of your past, you will not be able to go where He is calling you to go.”
Your healing influences healing in others. It will prove God’s faithfulness through our lives as we trust Him and hold Him out to them.
Even Jeremiah knew about hope as we see in Lamentations 3:19-26: “Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the LORD.”
Living out the unveiled life means growing continually in His likeness. In The Secrets of the Secret Place Bob Sorge says, “You must be continually devoting yourself consistently to the Place of the Shut Door. That’s when your soul is ignited, as you gaze on HIS glory and then you reflect it to others. How you stay white hot, reflecting his glory.”
At the recent forum, we gave each attendee a mask and asked her to write on the inside what she was hiding behind. In the final session, we asked if they were willing to take off that mask and hand it to God, and then trade with someone and pray together about what God said to them about their mask.
What if we all lived an unveiled life?
1. Unveiled before God: Honest.
Totally open to Him and giving Him everything. Moment by moment, surrendering it all to Him. Glory to glory. We freely submit when God shows us where we need to submit to His will.
2. Unveiled before others: Real and authentic.
Mirrors that reflect His glory. Demonstrating by the way we live our lives the way to know Christ and grow in Him. Sharing real life stories of failures and successes in the daily-ness of our journey.
3. Unveiled to lead others to be unveiled: Removing the heavy burden of trying to work our way into salvation.
Showing we are loved, accepted, and forgiven so we may live for Him. Our role is to place people in the pathway of God’s transforming power. What about you? As you lead women, are you hiding behind a mask and not living the unveiled life Christ has given you? He will help you remove the mask and lead women to remove theirs. All you have to do is surrender it to Him.
Chris Adams is senior lead women’s ministry specialist at Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn.
