The Shame we Try to Hide

At the BCM here in Murray last night, the topic was shame and how that can paralyze us.


It’s amazing to think that ever since the days of Adam & Eve, we have responded the same way to our shame—we try to cover it up, or we try to hide.

That’s what they did in Genesis 3. They tried to cover up their nakedness and when God did show up, rather than rush to meet Him, they hid from Him.

One of the joys of my day is when I come home and the kids are excited to see me home. They often rush to meet me.

But there are days I can tell when one or both has gotten in trouble. They’re not too enthused to welcome Dad home because I’m going to find out about it.

I believe that’s a lot of what was going on with them in the Garden, but we still act very much the same way.

We put on a public mask, we try to hide and pretend everything is alright. Our greatest fear becomes being discovered and we go to great lenghts to keep our shame from becoming known.

We may know and it eats us up inside, but we try to keep it in the dark—hide it in the depths where the light of day cannot penetrate.

But God does not want us to stay in the darkness. It is why He sent us the Light of the World.

But when it comes to our shame, we are more comfortable with our darkness than we are with the light. Shame keeps us afraid. But God knows that Victory never comes in shame and secret, but only when the light exposes what we try so hard to hide.

John 3:19-20—“This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.”

Our shame will keep us from the light and from the only source of victory and power over it. We love our sin more than we love the redemption.

But Jesus came on a rescue mission to deliver us from darkness and shame.

Colossians 1:13-14—“He has rescued us from the dominion (power) of darkness (shame) and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption (victory), the forgiveness of sins.”

The last thing our shame wants to do is be exposed, but it is the thing we need the most. Jesus will cover your sin with His righteousness.  Do not love your darkness but let the Light of Christ rescue you.