And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25 NASB)
If'there's one verse of the Bible I keep wanting to live out, it's this verse right here. Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Maybe I should try to explain myself a little better.
This verse is the last line of the perfect picture God had in mind before things started to go wrong. It summarizes the "very good"ness that God had in mind - especially for you and me. The more we keep this picture in mind and strive to live like it, the more we enjoy the original Garden Walk He intended for us to live.
They didn't feel shame at their nakedness until sin came into their personal picture. They felt no shame when there was nothing to be ashamed about. They hadn't sinned yet. They hadn't done anything wrong. There was no false guilt. They weren't forcing their "unashamed"ness nor were they lying about it to prove a point. There was no fear, anger, hurt, etc. There was nothing that made them want to hide from God or from one another. God calls this holiness. When we follow God's design in everything we do, there is no God-given sense of shame that follows. Only peace.
They were naked, too. While their physical nakedness is discussed here, there is more to this picture than just flesh and blood. There was nothing hidden in their lives. Nothing was hidden between each other. Nothing was hidden between them and God. They were an "open book," if you will. Nothing was hidden in their lives because they had nothing to hide. This creates the picture I keep remembering as I go through my day. In this day and age filled with lies, "spins," redirecting, politicizing, and hiding, I remind myself that I only enjoy God's design when I avoid all of that and simply live a life with nothing to hide.
The serpent (Satan) enters the story in the very next verse. It reminds me that even in the original Garden, someone tried to stop Adam and Eve from being naked and unashamed. When we face temptation that tries to pull us away from God's design, we're not alone. They fell to that temptation, but that doesn't mean we have to. We can choose not to believe his lies, half-truths, and spins on the subject and continue to enjoy the Garden. Choosing our own path - whether to follow God or not - that's a part of a Garden Walk as well.
Transparent and unashamed...Nothing hidden and nothing to hide. That's the essence of the Garden Walk, even for us today. Jesus lived that kind of life. "He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone." (1 Peter 2:22 NLT) I may have not lived that kind of life perfectly in the past, but I can strive to live that kind of life starting today. As I do, I enjoy more and more the life God had in mind when He made me. As you do, you can enjoy a Garden Walk, too.
This verse is the last line of the perfect picture God had in mind before things started to go wrong. It summarizes the "very good"ness that God had in mind - especially for you and me. The more we keep this picture in mind and strive to live like it, the more we enjoy the original Garden Walk He intended for us to live.
They didn't feel shame at their nakedness until sin came into their personal picture. They felt no shame when there was nothing to be ashamed about. They hadn't sinned yet. They hadn't done anything wrong. There was no false guilt. They weren't forcing their "unashamed"ness nor were they lying about it to prove a point. There was no fear, anger, hurt, etc. There was nothing that made them want to hide from God or from one another. God calls this holiness. When we follow God's design in everything we do, there is no God-given sense of shame that follows. Only peace.
They were naked, too. While their physical nakedness is discussed here, there is more to this picture than just flesh and blood. There was nothing hidden in their lives. Nothing was hidden between each other. Nothing was hidden between them and God. They were an "open book," if you will. Nothing was hidden in their lives because they had nothing to hide. This creates the picture I keep remembering as I go through my day. In this day and age filled with lies, "spins," redirecting, politicizing, and hiding, I remind myself that I only enjoy God's design when I avoid all of that and simply live a life with nothing to hide.
The serpent (Satan) enters the story in the very next verse. It reminds me that even in the original Garden, someone tried to stop Adam and Eve from being naked and unashamed. When we face temptation that tries to pull us away from God's design, we're not alone. They fell to that temptation, but that doesn't mean we have to. We can choose not to believe his lies, half-truths, and spins on the subject and continue to enjoy the Garden. Choosing our own path - whether to follow God or not - that's a part of a Garden Walk as well.
Transparent and unashamed...Nothing hidden and nothing to hide. That's the essence of the Garden Walk, even for us today. Jesus lived that kind of life. "He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone." (1 Peter 2:22 NLT) I may have not lived that kind of life perfectly in the past, but I can strive to live that kind of life starting today. As I do, I enjoy more and more the life God had in mind when He made me. As you do, you can enjoy a Garden Walk, too.
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