False Selfናሙና

False Security and the False Self

In the last devotion, Adam and Eve saw themselves with critical eyes for the first time and covered their bodies with fig leaves.

Think about this practically. Those leaves would eventually wither, forcing Adam and Eve to contrive another solution to mask the consequences of their disobedience. This is the impact of shame; it drives us to meet our needs using resources that God never intended.

Guilt is about behavior: I did something wrong. Shame is about identity: there is something wrong with me.

While guilt can motivate us towards repentance, shame does not come from God. It attacks our identity, feeding a lie that says, “You better find something to cover this up, or you will never be loved again.”

Our fig leaves, the things we put in the forefront of our false selves to mask our insecurities, come in many forms:

Prestige: Admiration based on our status.

Power: Control over others and situations.

Popularity: Approval that validates our worth.

People: Relationships that define our identity.

Perfection: Striving for flawlessness.

Perhaps the most dangerous attribute of our fig leaves is the fact that they work, at least temporarily. They push down our shame so that the world around us only sees what we want it to see. But we cannot fool God. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, His love pierces through our false selves and sees us in our truest form: in desperate need of saving.

Here’s the good news: God did not leave us to struggle with our false securities and shame on our own. He sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with God’s personal presence and power. The Holy Spirit empowers us to take off our fig leaves—to leave behind our false selves—and explore who we truly are in Jesus.

Reflection: Do your fig leaves exhaust you? Has your shame caused you to live in fear rather than in God’s love? Today, you can surrender to God’s freedom and let Him clothe you with the presence of His Holy Spirit and love.

Prayer: God, forgive me for the times I have attempted to define my identity outside of You. Fill me with Your Spirit to help me in my weaknesses. Amen.