who told you that you were naked?

we live in a world with a multitude of hurt.
like mr. roach said last night, "i think if we went back and told george washington everything that was going on in our country today, he would say, 'are you shitting me?'"
seriously though. things are so broken and sometimes i think i can't help but get overwhelmed by all of that and wonder what the heck we're supposed to do. i can hardly get myself together enough, let alone the endless aches and pains of this day and age. the weight of the world.

i found this in a post today from the stuff christians like blog, and it so resonated with me. our own inadequacies feel paralyzing at times. it's been easy to fall into the belief that my issues were far worse than anyone elses, that there was something seriously, abnormally wrong with me. even after the ever-faithful god has told me that nothing is wrong with me, i fall back into that unbelief. but it's not the way we were meant to live.

"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."

morning by morning, new mercies i see.