From Hiding to Abiding: Overcoming Shame and Embracing God’s Presence
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’
He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’”
There’s a moment in Scripture that echoes through the ages—a question that God Himself asks in Genesis 3:9: “Where are you?”
This simple yet profound inquiry was directed at Adam and Eve, but it is a question that still applies to us today.
In Ep. 204, Cara and I unpack the layers of hiding, shame, and God's relentless pursuit of His children.
The First Hiding Place: Fig Leaves and Excuses
After Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible tells us in Genesis 3:7-10 that their eyes were opened, they saw their nakedness, and they covered themselves with fig leaves.
But the real issue wasn’t their physical nakedness.
Adam and Eve weren’t afraid because they were naked. They hid themselves because they heard God coming.
This is where things get real. Adam and Eve’s fear and shame distorted their perception of God. They weren’t just covering themselves physically—but spiritually and emotionally, trying to hide from their Creator.
Shame, guilt, and sin distorted Adam’s view, and he began to make excuses. God gave Adam the opportunity to be honest with Him, but Adam didn’t take it.
Shame as a Weapon
As one of the enemy’s strongest tools, shame is a powerful weapon to separate us from God.
Instead of leading us to repentance, shame often leads us deeper into sin. It makes us lie—to ourselves, others, and God. It creates circumstances in our lives that bring more shame.
We see this in Adam and Eve’s response. Adam even blames God: “It’s the woman that You gave me.”
He shifts the responsibility, refusing to acknowledge his own sin. And isn't that what we do? We rationalize, deflect, and avoid the truth.
We don’t need to look at Adam and Eve and think, “Well, that was just them.” We are just like them.
The Call to Confession and Repentance
One of the most freeing moments in my personal walk with God came when I realized the importance of naming my sin for what it was.
At the time, I was in one of the darkest moments of my life. I was mad at God and considered walking away from everything that I loved and believed in.
Someone shared with me: “Call it sin. Just call it sin.”
Confession is crucial, but it is only part of the process. Confession should lead to repentance, which means to turn from one’s sin.
That’s where true freedom is found.
What Are You Hiding Behind?
Adam and Eve hid behind fig leaves. They were hiding behind their sin, excuses, and relationships.
Today, some of our hiding places look different—busyness, accomplishments, relationships, and even ministry. But it’s still exactly what Satan wants.
The enemy’s number one motivation is to destroy our relationship with God. He doesn’t care what we do as long as we don’t have an intimate, personal, loving relationship with our Father.
The Invitation to Abide
So how do we stop hiding? The answer is abiding.
Abiding in Christ is not works-oriented. You don’t see an apple on a tree struggling to hold on and trying with all its strength to stay attached. It’s just there. It’s allowing the branches, roots, and nutrients to flow through it. That’s what abiding in Christ is like.
Instead of striving to be enough, we rest in the truth that we already are. Instead of trying to earn God’s approval, we trust in His love. Instead of hiding in shame, we run to Him in honesty and repentance.
Where Are You?
God’s question to Adam and Eve is the same one He asks us today: Where are you? Are you hiding in shame? Are you covering yourself with excuses? Or are you coming into His presence, trusting in His grace?
The good news is that we don’t have to hide anymore. Through Christ, we are fully known, fully loved, and fully forgiven. But will we step out of the shadows and into the light?
Let’s stop running and hiding. Let’s abide.
For Jesus Always,
Dot