From fig leaves to social media filters, we have always tried to cover ourselves. Deep down we all wonder, Am I really good enough? Would people still love me if they knew the real me and what I’ve done?
We all struggle with shame. And from the beginning of time, we’ve tried different ways to get rid of it—with varying degrees of disaster. In the Garden of Eden, Eve sinned against God and felt the weight of shame slam into her the moment she took the first bite of the forbidden fruit. Her eyes were opened, and she realized she was naked (Genesis 3:7). She immediately went into fix-it mode, sewing coverings from fig leaves to hide her shame.
We try to cover ourselves with performance — but Christ covers us with righteousness
Eve’s first response to shame wasn’t to run and hide—it was to fix it. She tried to deal with her guilt and exposure on her own. She grabbed fig leaves, stitched them together, and clothed herself and Adam (Genesis 3:7). It was quick, it was desperate—and it wasn’t enough.
To us, fig leaves might seem ridiculous. They wither quickly, tear easily, and don’t last. But don’t we do the same? When we feel shame, instead of turning to God in confession and surrender, we get busy. We clothe ourselves in good works, busyness, perfectionism, or people-pleasing—whatever might make us feel covered.
Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” In other words, even our best efforts—if done in self-reliance instead of dependence on God—are like stained and torn clothing, unfit to cover real shame.
When our attempts fail, we move to the next step—just like Eve.
We hide in shame — but God comes near and clothes us
Eve sewed the fig leaves first. But when that didn’t work—when shame still clung to her—she ran and hid. That’s when God came near. He called to her, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). He wasn’t asking because He didn’t know—He asked because Eve was hiding. Covered in her own makeshift solution, she still felt the deep ache of separation.
And yet, God moved toward her in love. He didn’t ignore her sin—He acknowledged it. But He also gave her hope. He promised that one day someone would come to crush the serpent and restore what was lost (Genesis 3:15). Then, God provided a better covering. The first death recorded in Scripture—the sacrifice of an animal—provided skins to cover Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21).
When we feel the weight of shame, we often want to disappear. But the invitation of the gospel is not to hide—but to come out of hiding and be covered by Christ.
Many of us know John 3:16. But verse 17 is just as important: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus didn’t come to condemn you. He came to cover you.
God’s response: He covers the ashamed
After Eve’s failed attempt to cover herself and her retreat into hiding, God stepped in. He provided a covering that cost blood—and pointed forward to the covering that would come at the cross.
Thousands of years later, God sent His own Son to clothe the ashamed—not with animal skins, but with His perfect righteousness. Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live and died the death we deserved. Romans 4:7 says, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”
Jesus covers sinners. He removes our shame and clothes us in Himself. We don’t have to strive to take away our shame—He already has.
Shame loses its power when it’s met by grace.
So now what?
We can stop hiding. We can stop sewing fig leaves. The gospel invites us to come out of shame and into the light—not to be exposed, but to be clothed.
