Shame

What it means

Shame is the painful sense of being exposed, defiled, or unworthy, and it runs back to Eden, where the first sin sent Adam and Eve hiding and sewing fig leaves to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7-10). It can arise from our own sin or from wounds and abuse inflicted by others, but in every case it tells us we cannot bear to be seen as we are. Scripture meets this honestly and offers more than coping: it promises that those who look to the Lord are radiant, and their faces are never covered with shame (Psalm 34:5). God Himself provides a covering that fig leaves could not; just as He clothed Adam and Eve with garments, He clothes His people in the righteousness of Christ, a robe of salvation (Isaiah 61:10). The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:11).