God created Adam and Eve to walk with Him naked, and He never intended for them to feel guilt and shame. Unfortunately, when Satan appealed to the pride in the hearts of the first man and woman, they responded in disobedience to God’s command. In doing that, Adam and Eve plunged all future generations into lives often filled with sin, guilt and shame.
Shame is Satan’s most powerful tool in keeping Christians at a distance from God, and he relishes every opportunity to disable the spiritual engine of our lives using that tool. Guilt and shame cause believers to hide their primary weaknesses from each other, and in theory, away from God. God’s desire is for believers to find refuge in Him, confessing their sin, and partnering with Him to pursue the good works He has planned for them.
Christians have largely ignored the encouragement of God written in James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” We have ignored emphasizing confession to one another because of our shame and fear of rejection.
Why We Hide encourages believers to dig deep into their soul to find their hidden idols, and will step the believer though the process of confession and restoration. Designed as a resource for biblical counseling and group conversations, believers who desire to live a much more effective life for Christ will find Why We Hide to be an excellent starting place for that journey.
You can access an excerpt from Why We Hide at https://www.markbrandes.com/why-we-hide.
