In Genesis 2, we read how God makes man and woman in his own image, blessing them, and giving them a lush garden in which to flourish. He created us to live intimately with Him, to experience first hand his love and goodness.
Yet the enemy lured Eve into doubting God’s words and desires for her, “Did God really say?...You will certainly not die… For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God.” (Genesis 3:1,4-5) Instead of rooting herself in belovedness, she questioned God’s heart for her. You might even say she was lured into believing God was holding out on her. Satan is sinister, plotting and strategic—he will do whatever it takes for you to believe lies about God, about yourself, about others, and about your life.
When we believe him, when we believe his lies that come our way about our true selves, we hide, covering ourselves with the “fig leaves” of the False Self. What do you do when you’re feeling ashamed of what you’ve done, afraid of not being enough, afraid of not being seen, known, and loved? What is it that you cover with fig leaves? What are your go-to fig leaves? What do you hide behind?
What keeps us from the intimacy and flourishing God intended for us?
In constructing this False Self, we sacrifice our heart and our truest, most authentic self for the sake of arranging love for ourselves. When we put on this facade–a way of moving that “ensures” the attention and care we need–we diminish our True Self, our genuine, authentic heart and way of moving as God’s beloved daughter. She shrinks back and the False Self takes the reins of our lives.
Our God wants our honest hearts, our whole hearts, our true selves, to live and move in union with him. When we self-protect and live life from the lies and fears, the False Self keeps us from experiencing all the love, wholeness, and goodness God has for us.
As you ponder all this with God today, ask Him:
- Father, what lies have I believed about you, about me, and about others?
- Jesus, what has been my way of securing love when I have felt the need to hide, prove, and fear?
- Spirit, would you show me what I do when I’m feeling ashamed, afraid of not being enough, afraid of not being seen, known, and loved?
Scripture:
Genesis 3: 1, 4-5,7-10 He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” …“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”...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.”
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Romans 7:15-19
