The Call to Remove the Veil

Why the success of your ministry depends on your refusal to hide.

The Veil at The Altar

Imagine for a moment it’s the day of your wedding (if you’re not married, imagine yourself as the bride of Christ, which we all are).

The music starts to play, and you slowly start making your way down the aisle towards your expectant groom who’s waiting in anticipation for the moment your veil is lifted, and he gets to see your beautiful face in all its glory.

The lifting of the veil at the altar is more than just a gesture, it’s a declaration that says: “I’m here, and I’m yours”! It’s the point where mystery gives way to intimacy, and the commitment you’re about to make to your groom.

A Greater Glory

As the bride of Christ, we’re called to reveal an even greater glory – His glory that is meant to shine through us for the world to see.

Yet so many of us, like Moses did, still hide behind a veil.

In Exodus 34 v 29 – 35, we read of Moses coming down from the mountain where he’d been in the presence of the Lord, receiving the 10 commandments.

When Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses, his skin was shining so brightly from being in the presence of the Lord, even for a short while, that they were afraid to look at him.

As a result, Moses took to wearing a veil over his face. Whenever he went before the Lord, he would remove the veil, and when he returned, he would put it back on.

He was essentially wearing the veil for the sake of the Israelites, so they wouldn’t be afraid of him.

This reminds us, that even in the old covenant times, being in the presence of the Lord, even for a short time, would cause His glory to shine through you.

Today, because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, we are permanently in the presence of the Lord.

Then, in 2 Corinthians 3 v 13 we read again of Moses wearing the veil, this time so that the Israelites wouldn’t see that the glory of the Lord was fading from his face.

This time the veil wasn’t as much about hiding the fact that the Lords glory was fading from Moses as a person, as it was a symbol of the passing of the old covenant, which was temporary, and the coming of the new covenant which would be permanent.

The Israelites couldn’t stand to behold the glory of the Lord because it reminded them of their own inadequacies and sinfulness.

It reminded them that they were slaves to the Law.

But that was all about to change.

The Veil is Removed

In 2 Corinthians 3 v 16 we read that when one turns to the Lord, when you come to Christ, the veil is removed. You no longer need to fear (as in being afraid of) His glory.

In fact, the opposite is true, in Christ we are meant to reflect His glory, not hide it.

2 Corinthians 3 v 18

But we all (those who have come to Christ), with unveiled face, (Christ has removed the veil) beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We see here the contrast between the old covenant glory being so great that a veil was needed to shield the Israelites, and the new covenant glory which is meant to shine through us for the world to see. Not for our own glory, but to the glory of God.

Paul’s primary argument in this passage was about the theological shift from the Law to Grace.

From Law to Grace

Without realising it, we’re often guilty of putting on the very veil Christ removed when we came to Him.

Every time we dim our glory as daughters of God out of fear of upsetting others or social pressure, we’re putting the veil back on.

When we do this, two things happen:

1. We Hide Our Transformation

Paul says in verse 18 that we are being changed into Christ’s image “from glory to glory.”

2 Corinthians 3 v 18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When we downplay our faith to “fit in,” we’re essentially putting a veil over that transformation.

We’re hiding the work the Holy Spirit is doing, which prevents others from seeing the glory of Christ through us.

2. We choose “Fear” over “Boldness”

In verse 12, right before he mentions the veil, Paul says:

“Since we have such a hope, we use great boldness of speech”

If we “veil” our faith because we’re afraid of being judged, we’re stepping back into the mindset of the old covenant.

One of distance, fear, and concealment, rather than walking in the “liberty” and “boldness” Paul says we now possess in Christ.

By choosing fear over boldness, we’re essentially saying we’re ashamed of sharing our testimony of the Lord.

2 Timothy 1 v 7 – 8

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord….

The “Mirror” Effect

We also see Paul using the image of a mirror in verse 18.

A mirror can only reflect light if it is uncovered. When we “veil” our lives to avoid looking “too Christian,” we stop reflecting the Lord’s glory to the world around us.

In short: When we put on the veil, it hides the very thing that’s supposed to be most attractive about a Christian - the visible, life-changing presence (glory)of God.

The Modern-day Veil

As women in ministry and leadership today, we often face unique pressures to maintain an “ever-glowing” façade.

The Competency Veil:

The fear that if we admit we don’t have the answers or solution to every problem, our right to lead will be questioned, so we keep the veil down to maintain an illusion of effortless expertise.

The Emotional Stoicism Veil:

Many women in leadership feel they must mask their empathy or intuition to be taken seriously in traditional environments. We hide our “softness”, because we fear it will be perceived as a weakness.

The “Finished Product” Veil:

We tend to hide the messy “middle” of our projects or spiritual growth. We only want to be seen when the glory is at its peak (the launch, the success, the polished result).

By hiding the messy bits of the process, we prevent our “salt” from touching the wounds of those we lead.

The Perfectionism Veil:

We might fear that if people see the human exhaustion or the “dimming” of our energy behind the scenes, we will lose our influence.

We wear the veil of perfectionism so that no one can see the moments where we are simply human, tired, and in need of the same grace we preach to others.

We must be honest with ourselves and admit that, unlike Moses, the veils we wear aren’t about protecting others, but about protecting our own egos.

If we’re called to be light by reflecting the glory of the Lord, we must accept that light is often most visible when it breaks through a cracked and imperfect vessel.

An unveiled leader will be more impactful when she’s real enough to be seen.

I Too Wore a Veil

I remember when I was in fulltime ministry, I was often afraid that if people knew the state of my marriage, they would judge me unworthy of the position I carried.

Or, if they found out that one of my children had denounced the very faith I was proclaiming, it would disqualify me immediately.

It was like a silent, unseen “weight of others, including God’s, expectations of me” that was slowly causing me to drown, and robbing me of the joy of serving the Lord.

When your personal life doesn’t mirror the “glory” of your public message, the veil becomes a survival mechanism. One the enemy convinces us we need.

The Unveiled Reality

There is a profound irony here: the very things we’re terrified will make us “unworthy” are often the things that cause us to have the greatest influence.

I often receive feedback from readers saying: “Thank you for being vulnerable”. It gives them permission to do the same.

A leader with a perfect marriage (if there is such a thing) can offer advice, but a leader who’s fighting for her marriage while staying faithful to her calling can offer hope as she shares how the Lord supports her in her struggle.

By hiding the struggle, we inadvertently communicate to our followers that they, too, must hide when they struggle.

Like Moses, I spent years adjusting my veil. I was terrified that if the congregation saw the cracks in my marriage or the wandering of my children, the ‘glory’ of my ministry would be proven a lie.

But the veil wasn’t protecting my “flock”, it was isolating me.

We hide because we think our scars will disqualify us, forgetting that we follow a Leader whose greatest work was done through His wounds.

When we hide behind a veil, we lose the chance to show how grace works in the darkness.

From “Glory to Glory” Includes the Mess

The phrase “transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3 v. 18) implies it’s a process, not something that happens all at once.

The Greek word for this transformation is metamorphoo, meaning “we are being transformed.”

Metamorphosis is often a messy, hidden process that looks like a breakdown before it looks like a breakthrough.

As a leader, your “unveiled face” allows people to see the process of transformation, not just the result, and it gives them the courage to do the same.

When you’re honest about the struggles in your home or your heart, you show your followers how the Spirit moves you from one level of glory to the next through the struggle, rather than in spite of it.

We think the veil protects our influence, but Paul shows us that the veil actually interrupts our transformation.

Moses covered his face to hide the ‘fade,’ but we are called to a different way of leading.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 tells us that when we turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

We cannot be the salt and light of the earth if we are preoccupied with hiding our humanity behind a veil.

We don’t reflect Christ by being flawless; we reflect Him by being transformed in the midst of our own reality.”

The Unveiled Invitation

We have spent far too long acting as the curators of our own “glow,” terrified that the world will see our light flickering.

We’ve worn the veil of the perfect marriage, the successful child, and the unshakable leader, thinking it made us more effective.

But a veiled light is just a shadow.

The truth is, the most “luminous” version of your leadership isn’t the one you’ve polished; it’s the one that’s being transformed from “glory to glory” in the sight of everyone you lead.

Are You Ready to Stop Hiding?

I am building a space specifically for the woman who is tired of hiding God’s glory, that’s meant to shine through her, behind a veil.

I call it The Unveiled Leader.

Our Manifesto is simple:

• We believe that every woman has a unique God-given purpose and calling.

• We refuse to accept anything less than the excellence Christ deserves in the fulfilment of our calling.

• We are building a community of women who are prepared to stand up and proclaim the uncompromised word of God through their lives, business and ministry.

• We will no longer sit back and be silent about how the church identifies with Christ but still wants to fulfil their calling using a worldly compass.

• We are women who are tired of hiding God’s glory behind a veil for fear of upsetting others.

• We are committed to using our wealth for the education and establishment of other women who will impact their own homes, communities, and the world for the Kingdom.

If anything in this post has resonated with you, and you’re ready to remove the veil, I invite you to subscribe to The Unveiled Leader today.

Let’s stop hiding behind the veil and start reflecting the Glory. Together, we can finally become the salt and light we are called to be.

Conclusion:

It’s time to ask ourselves “What veil am I still wearing”?

Is it the veil of people-pleasing, the veil of fear, or the veil of ‘polite’ religion?

If you recognize yourself in anything I’ve shared, it’s time to lift the veil and let the world see the glory of Christ, unfiltered and unashamed shining through you.