Living "Naked and Unashamed"

  ^{Genesis 2:25 - "}And they are both of them naked, the man and his wife, and they are not ashamed of themselves."

There are so many things that can be taken from this passage, but after reading one of my favorite authors Donald Millers' "Seaching for God knows what," it became clear to me that this is yet another poitn we have been missing.  In American society, we care constantly bombarded in different ways telling us that we need to be "independent."  What this often tells us is that we can't share our real selves with other people because we need to keep our problems to ourselves.  Now, I don't think we need to go around sharing our problems with everyone or just blasting problem after problem, (people will think we are just a bunch of complainers) but I do think we need to be open and available to share our struggles with those God has asked us to. 

So often in our lives we don't want to share our "feelings", our "thoughts", our our pain with other people.  We are affraid.  I got corrected one time for saying it this way, but I believe that one of Satans best methods of controlling us is making us feel like we are alone.  Don't get me wrong when I say this, because I don't think Satan actually has the power to control us, but rather he lays the options out there in an inticing manor and we make our choice.  When we feel like we are alone in what we struggle with, we lose a lot.  We lose friendships that could have been, we lose relationships that are, and we lose oportunities God has brought before us to help other people.

Pick any problem you have, anything you struggle with, any sin you think you can hide and I guarantee you that there is someone close by dealing with the same thing.  Dealing with the same thoughts, struggling just like you, wanting to change.  What if you just took the time to open up to them? 

God created us to be open, available, and unashamed of who we are.  Through the fall of man, we immediatly became ashamed of who we are.  Its been something we have all strugled with.  Why not break that cycle and be willing to let people see who you are.  When you come through on the other side refreshed and renewed you can begin being that person who can listen to people and be that hope for someone else.

Do you think God didn't create us to share how we feel. Share our deepest secrets.  Share our pain and sufferings.  Search for it on the internet and you will find sites that let you post thoughts, feelings, things you have done so that others can read.  Posting these things give us a sense of freedom.  Freedom from feeling like we are the only ones.  Freedom from feeling like we have to hold it all in and deal with it yourself. 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.  God says where two or more are gathered in His name there he will be also.  His spirit will be there and you will be free.  Free to be real, Free to be who you are, Free to be "Naked and unashamed"