A very common coping mechanism or “flesh pattern” is to hide.  We hide when we feel shame.  We hide out of fear.  We hide to self-protect. Hiding can become addictive and its root cause is excessive caring about what others think.  How often do you hide?

As you have heard me say before, all “flesh patterns” are inadequate to meet our needs.  Christ is the ultimate source to meet all of our needs.  The enemy does not want us to feel secure and confident in who we are and what we do.  Christ came to set you free!  He said in John 8:36, ‘The truth will set you free.”  In Galatians 5:1 Paul states, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Have you ever felt exposed?  If you have experienced sexual abuse, you have definitely felt exposed.  If you have been found out after telling a lie, you have felt exposed.  If you were caught doing something wrong as a student and you were taken to the principal’s office, you have felt exposed.  Exposure can be used to harm us or to help us.  It’s a scary feeling.  The enemy loves to use the threat of exposure to control us.  When you know your identity and live true to who you are, there is no need to hide.  If you are living an authentic life and are confident in who you are, you can experiencing peace with few worries.  Obviously, we do fail at times.   Owning those failures and making amends is true to our real identity.  Accepting that in and of ourselves we are not perfect is important.

Teaching people their identity in Christ is the foundation of  Royal Life Ministries.  His word is clear that we have all we need for life and godliness.  We have been made a new creation.  Our identity and our behavior has been separated by God.  Our behavior does not change our identity.  God deals with our inconsistent behavior through many different ways.  And he does this out of love and because it is for our good.  But our spotless identity is sealed forever.  We no longer have to hide.  When you feel the urge, remember who you are.