And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Gen 2:25
I was recently struck by this verse in a new light. Often I have read it with the thought of Adam and Eve not being ashamed of their physical nakedness. And while I am sure that was true, I can’t help but think about their emotional nakedness.
Adam and Eve did not know sin during this time. There were no regrets, no mistakes and nothing to hide from one another. Can you imagine what that brought into their relationship as husband and wife? They could have an open honest conversation about what they were feeling and thinking. There was no fear of rejection or fear what the other might think of them.
Even more than that there was no trying to hide from God. I imagine that Adam and Eve talked about everything and anything with God without holding back. Sin had not entered into the equation of relationships.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked ; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings… He (Adam) said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked ; so I hid myself." Genesis 3:7,10 |
Sin and shame entered into the world and we have been hiding every since. The sad thing is, it is not the way God intended it to be. He did not intend for us to hide from our spouses, our friends and especially not from Him.
He desires a relationship with us that is open, real and genuine. Deep inside our hearts we desire the same, but fear of what He might see or do causes us to hide. We know hiding from God is impossible for He sees and knows all things, but just the same we find safety in thinking that we can hide.
The longer we are in relationship with God though I believe we hide less of our true selves. It’s like being married after 26 years I have learned I don’t need to hide from my husband. Through the years we have learned to trust one another with our deepest fears, thoughts and emotions so that we are now at a place where we no longer feel the need to be emotionally naked from one another.
I have been able to carry that over into my relationship with God but it is harder to carry it over into my friendships. I am still learning, growing and desiring to be emotionally naked.
I believe that in order to have a covenant relationship with God, my husband or my brothers and sisters in Christ I need to learn to be “naked and unashamed.” I believe that is what God intended, before sin came into the world.
Will I ever come to a place where I can bare my soul completely before a close sister in the Lord without fear of what she might think? I hope so for I believe that when we come to that place of not being ashamed it will also mean that we have grown into a deeper security of who we are in the eyes of God. We will know and understand in a deeper way who we ARE in Christ.
When we can come to the place where we can be truly our selves, who God created us to be, I believe it will be then that God will be able to use us to His fullest capacity.
Oh God I am not there yet! I still want to run and hide from you, my friends and my emotions. God I pray that you would continue working in my heart so that I can be who you know I can be so that you might use me as you desire to bring glory to your name.
What great words of wisdom and support this beautiful Monday morning Sharon...thank you for sharing your heart with us and making it a little safer for us to share too!
ReplyDeletexoxo, Melissa
Beautiful Words! Vulnerable can be beautiful! We just have to guard our hearts and make sure the devil doesn't get a foothold. I know from expirience that sometimes if you're not confiding in spiritually strong sisters, who can uplift you-anything negative (even baring your soul and burdens) can turn into a wild fire of habitual negativity. You have to be careful because some people are attracted to drama, and you want someone who can lift you out of thoes times-not keep you in them to wallow together. Does that make sense? But, I know your heart for the Lord, and if this is truly a desire of your heart, He will honor it. He will send you a kindred spirit to share, and pray with. Blessings my friend! and ((HUGS!!))
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