Who Told You?

Jonathan Acuff of "Stuff Christians Like" fame, talks of Genesis 3:11 being 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 and into that moment God steps. And He asks them, "What are you doing? Why are you hiding? And them tell Him, "We hiding because we're naked." And into that moment He leans down and He asks, "Who told you that you were naked?" There's hurt in God's voice as He asks that question…there's also a deep sadness. The sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever wrapped herself in shame. And in this moment, in this day God still asks us that question. And do you know why? Because we still tell ourselves that we're naked. And we still have other people tell us that. So God steps in and He says, "Who told you that you were naked? Who told you that you were not enough? Who told you that I didn't love you? Who told that there was something outside of Me that 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 good father or a good mother? Who told you that 'divorced' would always be your first name for the rest of your life? Who told you that without a job you weren'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 are people who might think you are silly or dumb or not a good writer or a husband or a wife 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're hearing from other people God is still asking the same question. "Who told you that you were naked?" And He's 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. In 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 go through your day hearing a million declarations of what you are or who you'll always be. But know this…. You are not naked!