The Anatomy of Shame

"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (Genesis 2:25)

And that is the way God intended it.

No, not the always naked part, though it's interesting that God created the first nudist colony.

Nakedness and shame are inextricably linked.

The inability to be naked - vulnerable - exposed - transparent without shame is the problem. There are tons of reasons for this problem, including the fact that few people can be trusted with that kind of exposure to your flawed self. But, more importantly, we are not willing to be fully naked even to ourselves and God; to admit to ourselves who we really are, to name our flaws and failures, to embrace our ugliness so we can move forward - these are the things that hold us back.

The ability to be naked - vulnerable - exposed - transparent without shame, now that is what God had in mind for us. "Be fruitful and multiply - fill the earth and subdue it. Have a ball. Love, live, walk with me and enjoy it all - without shame."

Idea: Get totally naked before your own eyes and take it in. Confront your own shame. Confess your ugliness to God and yourself. Receive His unconditional forgiveness and acceptance. Then walk completely naked and without shame before God and yourself as a perpetual lifestyle. Refuse to allow shame any place in your life.

Then, walk confidently in your newness of life. Allow no one to place shame on you and offer to others the gift of shame-free love.

Wow - that sounds amazing.