The Lie that Shame Tells Us

Have you ever done something wrong but felt too afraid to take responsibility? Maybe you lied and said you hadn’t done it, or blamed someone else to avoid the fallout. If so, you're not alone. But have you ever stopped to wonder why it's so difficult to admit guilt in the first place?

Shame tells us lies. It whispers that we're unworthy, unforgivable, and too far gone. These lies create distance between us and God, the only One who can heal our brokenness and set us free from the behaviors that keep us trapped in guilt and shame.

After Eve believed Satan’s lie and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, she offered the fruit to her husband Adam. When they ate, their eyes were opened, and they instantly knew they had been deceived. But instead of running to God, they ran away. They hid, ashamed of their nakedness, and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7).

What about you? Are you covering your shame with destructive patterns: anger, harsh words, control, avoidance? Are you hiding from the very One who can heal your heart and restore your true identity?

That first act of disobedience in the garden laid the foundation for the broken world we live in today. And ever since, it’s been almost impossible to "come clean" by our own strength. Shame pushes us to hide from the only One who gives us the courage to be honest when we’ve done wrong.

That Someone is Jesus.

If you believe in Him, you know He died for your sins and made a way for you to be completely forgiven. The best thing we can do when we’ve messed up is to be honest. Don’t run and hide like Adam and Eve. Own it. Come humbly before the Lord, ask for forgiveness. He will forgive you (1 John 1:9).

Sometimes I wonder: if Adam and Eve had come to God right away, with humility and repentance, would He have responded with mercy and given them another chance? But they didn’t. Instead, they pointed fingers. Adam blamed God for giving him Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12–13). There was no accountability, only deflection.

Are you letting shame convince you that God is angry or distant? What if, instead, you saw Him as ready and willing to meet you right where you are, offering complete forgiveness and freedom from shame?

Are you blaming others for the consequences of your choices, like Adam did? Or are you ready to take responsibility and let God do the healing work in your heart?

God has never stopped pursuing you—and He never will. But if you truly want to walk in freedom, healing, and wholeness, it starts with honesty. Confess. Turn to Him. Receive the forgiveness that’s already been made available to you through Jesus.