We all put on masks. But the greater the difference between our masks and our real selves, the greater our struggles become. This episode is all about how to resolve that tension. How do we relieve the tension and stress of constantly hiding ourselves away and pretending to have it all together?

We believe that lasting life can happen for your good and for God's glory.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:08 Unpacking the Inner Workings of Our Lives
00:01:43 Identifying the False Self: Who Are You Really?
00:02:18 Presenting a Put-Together Image vs. Being Authentic
00:04:07 The False Self: Desiring Acceptance through Image and Performance
00:05:52 The False Self and the Development of the Shadow
00:07:04 Examples of the False Self and the Shadow
00:10:08 The Impact of the Shadow on Our Lives
00:11:04 The Power and Influence of Shadows
00:13:17 The Consequences of Living into the False Self
00:17:22 Finding Healing by Embracing the True Self
00:21:42 Embracing God's Invitation of Love and Acceptance
00:24:57 Reflecting on Our False Self and Shadow in Life's Story

What if what we think peace is just a false peace? What if the way we think we find peace is backward?

Peace is more than just the absence of conflict; it is the presence of wholeness. In order to find restoration, healing, and recovery, we often have to push through the difficult things. Just because things seem calm doesn't mean that things are the way they are supposed to be. To find true healing and restoration, we must lean into things that don't always feel peaceful.

• (00:06) - Finding true peace: serenity, sanity, and wholeness
• (02:06) - Shalom: a deeper understanding of peace
• (05:22) - False peace vs. true peace: facing reality and restoration
• (11:22) - The impact of unhealed wounds on our lives
• (12:45) - Jesus is for the injured and those with a limp
• (15:06) - The myth of happiness and seeking false peace

How do we find serenity in the middle of the storm? This week, we turn to a prayer that many have found to be a help in their journeys. We unpack the serenity prayer, and it's spiritual import to our daily lives. So often, we struggle to deal with our anxiety or navigate the difficult situations we find ourselves in. Finding peace can allow us to move forward.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

taking, as Jesus did,

this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that you will make all things right

if I surrender to your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Amen.

-- Reinhold Niebuhr