this is the first of probably three parts in a series (by the way, the first blog series
i was at st. arbucks last night with a couple that i am giving pre-marital counseling to (i know... pretty scary, marriage counseling from me... lots a images coming to mind) and i swear that every time i go to starbucks something cool, crazy or really random happens. now, i have been going to the same starbucks since i moved here and several of the same people still work there from the beginning so it really has a great ethos and atmosphere at this specific location.
i have never given pre-marital counseling to date and honestly i have looked at what several other guys use and nothing really resonated with me... so i just started from the beginning... gen. 2:25 (adam and eve knew that they were naked and had NO SHAME).
what would your life look like if you had no shame?
the difference between guilt and shame is external vs internal. guilt happens on the outside while shame drives deep within the walls of our hearts. shame is an identity issue. shame stems from a lack of knowing who you are and who you were meant to be. adam and eve at this point knew who they were because they knew what they were created for... INTIMACY!
intimacy happens when we know our identity. i think that i am comfortable in saying that all relationship issues and problems are identity issues and problems. imagine if you had such a sweet intimacy with god and your friend/spouse had a sweet intimacy and closeness with god... you cannot NOT have intimacy and closeness and serenity...
relationship problems are identity problems...
we are in the middle of the biggest identity crisis the world has seen... the church is following in its pursuit... and few are talking about it, if any!
foundations to come!
F
Comments (4)
Thanks for sharing.
You are right, this is rich.
I've never thought about how shame could be connected with intimacy...but now I totally see it, and I see how it relates in my life definently...
Crazy.
Thanks for this.
I have a lot to think about today!
Liz
Posted by Liz Caro | August 21, 2008 6:38 AM
Posted on August 21, 2008 06:38
I love that you didn't start with something someone else wrote or "material". I love that it came straight from scripture. No better way to build that foundation. Good luck with your counseling.
Posted by John Harder | August 21, 2008 2:48 PM
Posted on August 21, 2008 14:48
Good stuff!
The greatest intimacy of all...a relationship with Christ. The more we feed our hunger with daily communion with him and the less we acquire from the appealing tastes of this world the more intimate it gets...the more we IDENTIFY ourselves as belonging to Christ. Gal 2:20 "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."...what a great BEGINNING to enriching the lives of others and there's NO SHAME in that.
Posted by Anonymous | August 21, 2008 9:53 PM
Posted on August 21, 2008 21:53
Here's what's going on in my brain right now...
Definently what is keeping me from just going that extra length in my relationship and intimacy with God, is my insecurity.
Same with my relationship with people.
I feel ashamed when I am actually being who God created me to be...so I try to act in a way that I think will make others happy, and not in a way that will make God happy.
Not to say that I am not even myself at all...I am, but it's just insecurity and it causes me to sometimes pull away or not give all of myself either in worship, or in a conversation, etc.
I have no idea if that made sense...but that is what I got from this so far.
It's something I've been working on foreverrr.
Okay, thanks Freddy!
:)
Liz
Posted by Liz Caro | August 22, 2008 10:14 PM
Posted on August 22, 2008 22:14