“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

— John 8:12 (ESV)

Have you ever found yourself hiding? Not in a physical sense, but in the depths of your soul—covering yourself, concealing who you truly are? We craft masks of performance, pride, and rituals, hoping these fig leaves will cover our shame. But the question remains: what kind of life are you truly living?

When Adam and Eve first tasted rebellion, what was their response? They hid. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden…and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). They reached for fig leaves, an inadequate covering for the guilt that gnawed at their hearts. Is this not what many of us do? We perform religious rituals, cling to self-made righteousness, hoping no one sees the brokenness within.

But fig leaves dry out. They crumble. They cannot cover sin.

The Tragedy of Hiding

Hiding is a slow death. In the shadows, shame festers. We live in fear—fear of being truly known, fear of exposure. The rituals we perform—going to church, reading Scripture, serving—can become mere coverings if our hearts remain untouched by Christ. These are good things, but without the Light, they become hollow.

When we hide, we settle for a dim existence. In darkness, truth is obscured. We stumble, unsure of our footing. The shadows whisper lies: You’re too far gone. If they knew who you truly were, they’d turn away. So we hide behind accomplishments, relationships, and busyness.

But Jesus calls: “Come out of hiding. Step into My light.”

Christ: The End of All Hiding

Jesus does not simply bring light; He is the Light. Where He shines, darkness flees. In Him, nothing remains hidden. This is terrifying—but it is also gloriously liberating.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

—2 Corinthians 4:6

The light of Christ exposes—but it also heals. He does not reveal our sin to condemn but to cover us with something far better than fig leaves: Himself.

Consider the robe of righteousness He offers (Isaiah 61:10). Christ’s covering is not temporary; it does not fade or crumble. His righteousness is perfect, eternal, and wholly sufficient. In Him, we can stop running, stop hiding.

Stop Looking Behind You

The call of Christ is forward. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Looking back implies a longing for the old life—a life of hiding, shame, and self-reliance. But when Christ calls, He gives new eyes, new direction.

Why look back when the path before you is illuminated by the very Light of life? In Christ, everything becomes vividly clear. The fog of deception lifts. You see sin for what it is—deadly, enslaving. You see yourself rightly—broken but beloved. Most importantly, you see Christ—glorious, sufficient, and near.

From Rituals to Relationship

Do you perform without presence? The danger of religious rituals is that they can become fig leaves—good things done for the wrong reasons. But when Christ’s light breaks in, rituals transform into worship.

• Reading Scripture becomes hearing the voice of your Shepherd.

• Prayer becomes communion, not performance.

• Gathering with believers becomes a foretaste of eternal fellowship, not an obligation.

This is the life Christ offers: no more hiding, no more shadows—only life in the glorious light of His presence.

Come into the Light

What fig leaves are you clinging to? What shadows do you dwell in? The invitation stands: Come to Jesus.

Step out. Be seen. Be healed.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

—1 John 1:7

This is the promise: no more hiding, no more shame. Only the radiant light of Christ, in whom you are fully known and fully loved.

Gracious and Glorious God,

I come before You, weary from hiding. I have stitched together fig leaves of my own making—good works, empty rituals, and masks of self-sufficiency—hoping they would cover the shame I carry. But in Your light, I see clearly: these coverings are fragile and fading. They cannot heal, they cannot save.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, shine into the deepest places of my soul. Expose what I have hidden, not to shame me, but to set me free. Break the chains of fear that keep me in the shadows. Let Your truth flood in and wash away every lie.

Clothe me, not in my own righteousness, but in Yours alone—the perfect covering purchased by Your blood. Teach me to walk in the light, leaving behind the darkness where I once dwelled. Let me no longer look back in longing for a life of hiding, but press forward, eyes fixed on You—the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

Turn my rituals into real worship. Let my prayers rise as sweet incense because they come from a heart transformed by Your presence. May I walk daily in the clear and vivid truth of who You are and who I am in You: loved, forgiven, and free.

Father, dispel every shadow with the brilliance of Your glory. In the places I once covered with shame, let Your light now shine as a testimony to Your redeeming power. Make me a reflection of Your light in this dark world, a living witness to Your mercy and truth.

Thank You for calling me out of hiding. Thank You for covering me with Christ. Thank You for making all things new.

In the name of Jesus, my Light and Salvation, I pray.

Amen.