This is a post from the blog Stuff Christians Like. It is written by a guy named Jon who is funny, insightful, and funny. I encourage you to check it out… and give yourself time! His posts are like a great novel… you can’t stop after just one chapter!
This particular entry really spoke to me… I hope it does for you as well.
And if you are so inclined to share that it has touched you in some way, please feel free to leave the comment for Jon, over at his site.
#512. Thinking you’re naked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t want to wear that band-aid.” She replied.
“Why? You have a cut, you need a band-aid.” I said.
“I’ll look silly.” She answered.
Other than her sister and her mom, there was no one else in the yard. None of her friends were over, cars were not streaming passed our house and watching us play, the world was pretty empty at that moment. But for the first time I can remember, she felt shame. She had discovered shame. Somewhere, some how, this little 5 year old had learned to be afraid of looking silly. If I was smarter, if I had been better prepared for the transition from little toddler to little girl, I might have asked her this:
“Who told you that you were silly?”
I didn’t though. That question didn’t bloom in my head until much later and I didn’t understand it until I saw God ask a similar question in Genesis 3:11. To me, this is one of the saddest and most profoundly beautiful verses in the entire Bible. Adam and Eve have fallen. The apple is a core. The snake has spoken. The dream appears crushed. As they hide from God under clothes they’ve hastily sewn together, He appears and asks them a simple question:
“Who told you that you were naked?”
There is hurt in God’s voice as He asks this question, but there is also a deep sadness, the sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever, wrapped herself in shame.
Who told you that you were not enough?
Who told you that I didn’t love you?
Who told you that there was something outside of me you needed?
Who told you that you were ugly?
Who told you that your dream was foolish?
Who told you that you would never have a child?
Who told you that you would never be a father?
Who told you that you weren’t a good mother?
Who told you that without a job you aren’t worth anything?
Who told you that you’ll never know love again?
Who told you that this was all there is?
Who told you that you were naked?
I don’t know when you discovered shame. I don’t know when you discovered that there were
people that might think you are silly or dumb or not a good writer or a husband or a friend. I don’t know what lies you’ve been told by other people or maybe even by yourself.
But in response to what you are hearing from everyone else, God is still asking the question, “Who told you that you were naked?”
And He’s still asking us that question because we are not.
In Christ we are not worthless.
In Christ we are not hopeless.
In Christ we are not dumb or ugly or forgotten.
In Christ we are not naked.
Isaiah 61:10 it says:
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.
The world may try to tell you a thousand different things today. You might close this post and hear a million declarations of what you are or who you’ll always be, but know this.
As unbelievable as it sounds and as much as I never expected to type this sentence on this blog:
You are not naked.
Wow! That is amazingly profound. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing…I needed to hear those words today. Blessings Amanda!
This post totally cracked me up! I don’t want to brag either, but I’m pretty darn skilled at band aid-ing too! 🙂 Isn’t it amazing how a little piece of colorful adhesive can make boo-boo’s feel all better?
Wow–that hit just a little too close to home! Thank you so much for sharing – It’s something I need to hear often!
Hope you are doing well! Have a fabulous Easter!
Janis
Wow. What a beautifully written post, and such a wonderful message, especially at Easter when we have so many reasons to celebrate in gratitude. Thank you for the reminder.
Holy moly, thank you for posting this. God really spoke to my heart through it!