After Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened to see that they were naked. As soon as their shame was revealed to them, they fashioned clothes for themselves and hid.
We live in a culture where it seems that people know how to hide well. We can hide behind our occupations, our schools, our neighborhoods, our statuses, our children, our cars, our social media status, and so much more. On the surface, the face that we may show to everyone around us could easily convey that things are great and that we are on top of the world, but if someone were to look behind the mask they would most likely see that what's on the surface may be deceiving.
So, why do we hide? What are we hiding? In the case of Adam and Eve, it was their shame and their sin that had been revealed to them once they ate the fruit. That's not to say that every time that we find ourselves hiding that it's because of our shame and our sin, but I would venture to guess our shame and our sin are probably a big part of why we hide. Whether or not the shame that we are feeling is justified or not is an entirely different issue, but we may feel shame which leads us to cover it up, to hide it away, and to put on a false front.
Adam and Eve realized their own vulnerability as well. They knew that they needed to cover themselves up. At the heart of our hiding is also a deep seeded need to remove our own vulnerability. Most people aren't crazy about the feeling they get when they are vulnerable. They want to control who sees them, especially the inward parts of them. When we take off the masks and begin to stop using our fake IDs, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to people, we allow people to really see us. That can be incredibly scary, but freeing at the same time.
Going deeper:
- What kind of masks have you found yourself wearing during your life?
- What do you think are some reasons behind wearing masks and using fake IDs?
- How do you think you are doing in taking off your false identities and revealing yourself to other people?
Prayer:
Father, search me and know me. Reveal to me the places where I am trying to hide from you, from others, and even from myself. Give me the courage and the confidence to be honest, real, and authentic. Show me how to trust others with who you have created me to be and with my faults and foibles as well. In Jesus' name, Amen.
