He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked.
- Genesis 3:10-11
Mistakes and poor self-concept are based on erroneous information. Such information can be false and erroneous from the start. Or, the information can be true but misused alongside bad motives. One does well to check his sources.
Adam had erroneous information because his source aimed to trick him, to keep away from God. His information was that he was naked, which was true, but the context of it was erroneous. God knew that Adam was naked before Adam knew it. It was Adam's understanding of his nakedness which changed, all due to an erroneous source. Adam now views his nakedness as a problem and so he hides, or at least thinks he’s hiding. Sin or shame always lead to hiding.
Where did you get your information about you? Who told you you were the way you are? Are you more than your experiences and your past? Where is the sin that has impacted your life? To what extent are you in hiding?
Because Adam’s view of his nakedness has changed, he is internally shamed and fearful. Now, his understanding of God is skewed and instead of “walking with God in the cool of the day”, Adam is afraid of Him. He is unable to resolve his inner issue because he is hiding from the solution - God Himself. He listened to the wrong source.
Who are you listening to about you?
Verify your source.
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." - Psalm 1:1