Something to Hide

We all have something (or several things) to hide. After all, we're broken and therefore we're insecure. Covering-up our insecurities consumes a good portion of our lives. Like the child who thinks he can spread out the green beans on his plate or cover them with a piece of his dinner roll and his parents won't notice, we too think we can cover-up that which is lacking in us. Our methods vary depending on the person and the particular insecurity but some of the popular (and obvious) covers include anger, indignation, humor, intellect, muscles, hairdos, tattoos, piercings, clothing and much more. [Note: these things are not always covers, but they are sometimes used for that purpose.] We cover things like our ignorance, foolishness, laziness, fear, failures, home life, and other sins; or should I say, "we think we cover them." It's more like the "Emperor's New Clothes." We usually don't have to look too far to see what's being covered-up. There's often a hyper-sensitivity and defensiveness when someone gets too close to the thing we are hiding. Our slip is showing and we don't think others see it, but they do. In logic, these covers are known as a "red herring," which is a deliberate attempt to divert a process of inquiry by changing the subject.

A big part of maturity is coming to grips with our insecurities and instead of covering them up we begin to address them in the light of the gospel of Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. This begins with genuine humility, which is always the place where God does His greatest work. Removing all the covers―being naked before God―enables us to see and be seen so that we can receive a proper diagnosis of our problems or, as we like to say, "our shortcomings." Then, and only then, can we face our insecurities and apply the remedies that come from God's Word.