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~ TODAY'S READING ~
~ GENESIS 2 ~
~ GENESIS 2 ~
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~ TODAY'S VERSE ~
~ GENESIS 2:25 ~
~ GENESIS 2:25 ~
Adam and his wife were both naked,
and they felt no shame.
and they felt no shame.
~ TODAY'S THOUGHT ~
In an age where physical perfection is achieved through the editing of a photograph, and where cosmetic surgery is supposed to offer the same, it's near impossible to be naturally 'perfect' - or as perfect as such images need to be, apparently, in order to sell someone's products. Many of us look at such images in the magazines, on the tv and other such places, compare ourselves to the "perfect" face and "perfect" body we see before us and declare ourselves less in one away or another, and often walk away feeling miserable about ourselves, hating the person in the mirror and ashamed to take her/him out in public. And God forbid anyone ever see us naked!
If we walk this path, we may end up feeling unworthy of the cosmetic world, longing to live in their shallow depths so we can be as equally capable of stirring to life someone's sexual desires; hating ourselves when we can't. We base our worth on the egotistical response of another's crotch, so ashamed when we don't produce the physical results longed for. We think on behalf of the 'viewer' and imagine they deem us less worthy of attention and trust that opinion, and, again, we take on shame...
Why...?
Forgive me if you think me crude in that last passage, but isn't that the way of the world these days? Doesn't this 'generation' or this time in our history openly judge and declare a person's worth solely on their physical beauty? And is physical beauty not judged these days by the way our sexual urges are encouraged - or discouraged...?
When you dress in the morning, do you do it for you, for your partner, for comfort, to suit your own true character, or do you do it with the hope of not feeling ashamed? If it be the latter, how do you know whether or not you'll be made ashamed of your appearance? Have you not assumed, prior to leaving the house, that another's reaction to you and your appearance will be based on how sexy they deem you? And is your perception of sexy not defined by the images in the magazine, on the ads, in movies and such...?
Further on in Genesis, after sinning, Adam and Eve realise they are naked and, with shame, they run off into the bushes to hide from God. They move to cover their shame with 'clothing'. But why are they ashamed...? Why hide their nakedness...? Back then, there were no images they had to live up to, no one they had to compare themselves to, so it would be safe to say their shame was not born from their physical appearance but from sin. Today, however, we would run and hide our nakedness not because we're ashamed of sin, not because we worry about upsetting God, but because we're not "perfect" in our physical appearance.
The closer I walk with God the less shame I feel and the more acceptable of my own body and appearance I become. I'm 48 now, and after having 4 children, I confess naked is not something I am proud of, but, hey, even prior to babies I was never proud of this body, nor my face, deeming them both less than ideal, and therefore concluding I was less than worthy of approval; and I would sit in the quiet of my own misery longing to 'look like "that"...' convincing myself I would be happy and worth loving if I could 'look like that'... Such a waste of one's time and life...
Why do we allow ourselves to be degraded like that...?
I have found the closer you walk to God the more at peace, and less ashamed, one becomes of self; the more acceptable one becomes with self and with one's own appearance, because you start to see through His eyes, and, in His eyes, the physical isn't the possession that wins you first place in His heart - it's your heart; it's YOU. And the more aware you become of your true worth the more aware of the true worth of others you become; you see them, not just their physical appearance; you love them, not what they can do to and for you; you see their worth as He does, and, even if they are your enemy, you start to understand why God loves them, and you go on to love them, despite their appearance, despite their attire, despite anything they may or may not be clothed in. You love them, as He loves them; as He loves you. No one is condemned. No one is judged. No one is left feeling worthless in their 'nakedness'
Unashamed is a great way to live. But I have found it's only while walking close to God that such shame is taken from me - and that only after accepting Christ and the forgiveness and new heart we receive through Him.
If we walk this path, we may end up feeling unworthy of the cosmetic world, longing to live in their shallow depths so we can be as equally capable of stirring to life someone's sexual desires; hating ourselves when we can't. We base our worth on the egotistical response of another's crotch, so ashamed when we don't produce the physical results longed for. We think on behalf of the 'viewer' and imagine they deem us less worthy of attention and trust that opinion, and, again, we take on shame...
Why...?
Forgive me if you think me crude in that last passage, but isn't that the way of the world these days? Doesn't this 'generation' or this time in our history openly judge and declare a person's worth solely on their physical beauty? And is physical beauty not judged these days by the way our sexual urges are encouraged - or discouraged...?
When you dress in the morning, do you do it for you, for your partner, for comfort, to suit your own true character, or do you do it with the hope of not feeling ashamed? If it be the latter, how do you know whether or not you'll be made ashamed of your appearance? Have you not assumed, prior to leaving the house, that another's reaction to you and your appearance will be based on how sexy they deem you? And is your perception of sexy not defined by the images in the magazine, on the ads, in movies and such...?
Further on in Genesis, after sinning, Adam and Eve realise they are naked and, with shame, they run off into the bushes to hide from God. They move to cover their shame with 'clothing'. But why are they ashamed...? Why hide their nakedness...? Back then, there were no images they had to live up to, no one they had to compare themselves to, so it would be safe to say their shame was not born from their physical appearance but from sin. Today, however, we would run and hide our nakedness not because we're ashamed of sin, not because we worry about upsetting God, but because we're not "perfect" in our physical appearance.
The closer I walk with God the less shame I feel and the more acceptable of my own body and appearance I become. I'm 48 now, and after having 4 children, I confess naked is not something I am proud of, but, hey, even prior to babies I was never proud of this body, nor my face, deeming them both less than ideal, and therefore concluding I was less than worthy of approval; and I would sit in the quiet of my own misery longing to 'look like "that"...' convincing myself I would be happy and worth loving if I could 'look like that'... Such a waste of one's time and life...
Why do we allow ourselves to be degraded like that...?
I have found the closer you walk to God the more at peace, and less ashamed, one becomes of self; the more acceptable one becomes with self and with one's own appearance, because you start to see through His eyes, and, in His eyes, the physical isn't the possession that wins you first place in His heart - it's your heart; it's YOU. And the more aware you become of your true worth the more aware of the true worth of others you become; you see them, not just their physical appearance; you love them, not what they can do to and for you; you see their worth as He does, and, even if they are your enemy, you start to understand why God loves them, and you go on to love them, despite their appearance, despite their attire, despite anything they may or may not be clothed in. You love them, as He loves them; as He loves you. No one is condemned. No one is judged. No one is left feeling worthless in their 'nakedness'
Unashamed is a great way to live. But I have found it's only while walking close to God that such shame is taken from me - and that only after accepting Christ and the forgiveness and new heart we receive through Him.
~ 1 SAMUEL 16:7 ~
But the Lord said to Samuel,
‘Do not consider his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.’
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But the Lord said to Samuel,
‘Do not consider his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.’
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We were created to live freely, to live peacefully, to live without shame...but the further we get away from God the more shame we feel. Yes, God will cover us with grace, and He will wrap us in mercy when we return to Him, but when we pull away from Him we will find shame somewhere in ourselves, in our sinful nature, and that shame will not only have us running away from Him, but have us bow at the feet of "man", hoping they will throw us a bone of encouragement - even if that is through sexual responses. Do you really want to live in the shadow of "man's" ego...?
Get up... Get dressed in mercy and grace... Know that you are worth so much more than the shadows of this world!
There is great joy in being accepted as you are, in the physical. There is even greater joy in being accepted for who you are... But let God define who you are, not the urges of another.
There is great joy in being accepted as you are, in the physical. There is even greater joy in being accepted for who you are... But let God define who you are, not the urges of another.
Who are you dressing to impress...? And why...?