Naked and Unashamed

Naked and Unashamed

Genesis 2:22(NCV) “The LORD God used the rib from the man to make a women, and then he brought the woman to the man.”

Genesis 2:25(NCV) “The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.”

                A relationship is formed by God; it is pure and there are no problems with it at all. This relationship like everything God created was very good (Genesis 1:26, 31). We aren’t given too many details about it, but there is one thing that stands out about this relationship: the couple was naked and unashamed. 

            The Garden of Eden had to be the most awesome place in the world to be. A place where you felt no shame, no negative thoughts to hide, no anger issues, no lust problems, no embarrassing situations, no doubts, no conflicts, no second guessing of yourself or the person you are with, no wondering what to say next.  Adam and Eve had total and absolute peace. They could freely be who they were created to be without holding or hiding anything from each other. They were in paradise.

            I would really love to know what that place was like. A place where I did not have to worry about any of the things enumerated above. Wouldn’t it be nice to be free of that awkward feeling you have when you meet someone new or go to a new place? What about that scary feeling you have when you believe the people who like you would not like you if they knew certain things about you. What a relief it would be to shake the thought that something is always wrong with you, no matter how educated you are, how much you weigh or how you look. Imagine being free of the anger you feel when you, or your thoughts/view or lifestyle, are rejected by the people you had hoped would understand. Visualize a world where you are not afraid to share a personal struggle with friends or family for fear of what they might think or how they might treat you if they knew how vulnerable you are.

            What an awesome place Adam and Eve must have been in as they stood in the Garden of Eden and were not ashamed. They could look at each other without having distorted views of the one who was standing in front of them, talk without doubting the truth of the other’s statements, and love unconditionally because they were not ashamed to do so. I wish I could be in that place, and I know I am not alone.

We all have a desire to live “naked and unashamed” lives. If you are anything like me and the rest of the human race your heart is screaming for this place. No modern technological advances such as a navigation system or a “Google Search” can take you to the place where you can live “naked and unashamed,” because it is in your heart. The only way to find this place is by opening your heart to God—holding nothing back—and trusting that He will work in the lives of the people He brings into yours. Neither of these will be easy, but if you want to start the process of ridding yourself of human fears, this is the place to start. Being “naked and unashamed” before God will be the easiest, for He is the one who knows the most about you, and He is waiting for you to share your fears, hopes and dreams with Him.                                                                   

Are you ready to be “naked and unashamed” before Him? Trust me, nothing you say or do will shock or push Him away. I know me, and if He was going to push anybody away for being “naked and unashamed” before Him, it would be me. But He hasn’t pushed me away; He continues to pull me closer as I reveal to Him all of my heart. I pray that you will allow Him to do the same for you.

“Success is not arriving at a certain goal in life; success is continuing in God’s will and making Him the center of your life. So with this in mind I will strive to submit to God in everything that I do; never being satisfied with earthly honors, because the success I desire resides in heaven. That success is to be just like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” William Gilmer 11/1999

I wrote this quote as I was about to enter Bible college; I didn’t realize how true this statement was when I wrote it.

Ten years have passed and I still don’t measure success by the things I accomplish or the praise I receive from people for the things I accomplish; I have come to realize that true success (becoming like Christ) only happens as you grow in your relationship with Him and the people He places in your world.

I have learned that my success (growth) is an eternal process and this book of poems and thoughts are small pieces of that process. I hope that as you read this you will think (meditate), understand (you and God more clearly) and grow in your relationship with Him and the people He has connected you to.

Be Blessed

William Gilmer

Look Into My Heart

Proverbs 14:10(NCV) “No one else can know your sadness, and strangers cannot share your joy.”

“Pain has no ‘outside’ existence. Two people can look at the same tree; no one has ever shared a stomachache. This is what makes the treatment of pain so difficult. None of us—doctor, parent, or friend—can truly enter into another person’s pain. It is the loneliest, most private sensation.”—Dr. Paul Brand

What if you saw the insides of my heart today?

If you looked deep inside of me I wonder what you would say

Would you be excited about the love that I have

For my God, my family, even the enemies that back stab

Maybe you would admire me for my love and dedication

To the Bible and God’s people; who I will serve without hesitation

You would probably be impressed by my faithfulness to my friends

No matter what comes I will be true to them until the end

You will smile when you hear that I trust Jesus and have avoided God’s wrath

That I delight to shun the broad way I try hard to stay on the narrow path

You will appreciate the part of me that is convicted of sin

Oh yeah, don’t forget that inner part that desires godliness within

But if you looked into my heart you would surely see the scars

That travel back to when I was young and my thoughts were my bars

You would see the part of me that was used to being laughed at

Whenever an awkward situation came up I never knew how to act

Trying to fit in and just feel like a normal human being

But no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake that awful feeling

If you looked into my heart you would definitely see

That sinful side that is always out to destroy me

You would see those things I hate to do when no else is around

Those things that we all swear would never bring us down

You would recognize that I always have struggles on the inside

A desire to always do right and hide my sinful side

And if you keep searching you will find something that permeates every part

From the beginning I always had a desire to make Christ home my heart

You would see that I am not willing to ever let go of the hand of my King

My Savior and Redeemer who has taken away death’s sting

If you looked into my heart you would see someone who is driven by God

To walk through this life even though it will be very hard

You would also see someone who is thankful for the gift of being alive

You would recognize that Christ is the reason I have so much drive

To keep smiling and living out His Words that give peace

For in my heart I fully recognize I am one of His sheep

1Corinthians 2:11(NCV) “Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts…”

I don’t have enough time to tell you about my heart, but if you hang around me long enough, I will show it to you.

William Gilmer- Whew, that was refreshing. Sometimes it’s tough opening up and letting out what is on the inside of you. I have fought my whole life trying to be heard; wishing someone would just listen…

I Hear You, but Do You Hear Him?

Psalm 4: 2, 3, 7, 8 (MSG) “You rabble—how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies? How long will you live crazed by illusion? Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him. Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees. At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together.”

Will Gilmer- Rumors, lies and gossip; why do we enjoy spreading so much of it? Why do we take pleasure in hurting people with our words? Why do we “lust after lies” and are hungry for more?

Sin is a very powerful disease; there are many times when we don’t realize the depth of its grip on us or the affect that it has on our lives. I believe our sin nature is what allows us to take pleasure in spreading lies about someone else (even if it is under the guise of soliciting prayer). The nature we are born with delights to see someone else in misery and takes joy that someone has fallen in some area of their life. The nature we are born with is very twisted and depraved; Satan, who is the epitome of depravity, takes full advantage of this nature that we are born with and uses our carnal natural desires to draw us into these deadly conversations over and over again; with no regard to who we hurt or the relationships we damage.

If you have been the victim of one of these attacks don’t lose heart. Oh, I am not saying that the words that are spoken will not hurt, they will; what’s being said about you may be true and constant reminders of your actions will cause you grief,  but look at the verse of Scripture above, look at what the psalmist is saying, “Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him.” Do you see it; do you see who got picked by God? Do you see who God listens to? He doesn’t listen to the liar or the person who is spreading the gossip; He listens to the one who was being scorned (talked about).

Why would God pick the scorned people who are being talked about; why would God choose to listen to you even if some part of what people were saying about you was true… “Then Levi (Jesus newly appointed disciple) gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too. But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus' followers, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives." (Luke 5:29-31) Jesus was eating with people who were used to being talked about, misunderstood and lied on. Jesus was spending intimate time with people who the religious people of that time would have never spent time with; Jesus was spending time with people who needed their lives put back together because of the nature they were born with (sin nature) and what was being said about them.

So Why would God listen to you? God would listen to you because…

·        He Cares for you…” Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7; NCV)”.

·        Those who rely on His grace cannot brag about their lives or talk bad (gossip) about the lives of others… “Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses; chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:26-30; MSG).

·        He wants you to have His joy, peace and to enjoy life in all the fullness that He intended it to be…  “I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy… I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid… A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness.” (John 15:11; 14:27 and 10:10, NCV), because He has put your, “life back together”, through His grace.