While listening to a message at church on Sunday, I was impressed by a scripture that I have read a thousand times before but never seeing what I did today. As the speaker continued with what she was saying for me it got drowned out by what I was hearing inside my own heart.. Don't you just love when God takes you on a rabbit trail so to speak, when He wants you to get the fullness of something. I get excited when that happens. I love revelations from the Word.
Anyway, The scripture being shared was Genesis 3:11. In context it was immediately after the disobedience of Adam and Eve. They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and broke covenant with God. Immediately their eyes were opened to things God never intended them to see when He put them in the garden since His presence made all things well in the world. Now they saw the dark side. of life. It reminds me of when my kids were small and I hated to have to tell them that certain evils existed in the world but I had to for their own protection. For instance I had to tell them about people touching them inappropriately and people trying to lure them away possibly using a sweet puppy dog or candy in an attempt to kidnap them, Prior to those conversations, they had no knowledge of the evil that existed in their world. They were surrounded by love and affection and safety. I would have loved to keep it that way but we live in this fallen world as a result of that broken covenant. Thank God Jesus brought restoration and reconciliation for us but none the less we still live in a world that is suffering the consequences from it's break with God. Adam and Eve too, had lived with only the knowledge of good. They were in constant fellowship with the Father. They were loved, affirmed, safe and very well taken care of.; everything and everyone was at peace and in harmony. A perfect Utopia. As you read in Genesis 3 you see God was calling out to Adam to fellowship and Adam's response was he was hiding because he was naked and ashamed. Here's the rabbit trail God took me on. God answered Adam with a question: "Who told you you were naked"? Obviously before this point there was no embarrassment or shame at being naked and neither of them were afraid to ever be in God's presence. But that question is what I kept hearing "Who Told You That"? "Who told you that"? Opening the door to enemy of our souls had a consequence that still lingers on to this day. it did in my life and sometimes still tries to creep up again. We no longer have only the image of God in us but now the image of evil and darkness can creep in too. Instead of knowing we are created by love and chosen of the Father to be His very own prized possession, many of us feel damaged, ugly and worthless.
In my Coaching practice I help people to ask themselves that same question (which I had to ask myself many years ago) Who told you that you were worthless? Who told you that you were not smart? Who told you that you were stupid? And the list can go on with the many people I've worked with. As I sat in that service God showed me He is still asking that same question to us.today. Who told you these awful, hurtful things about yourself? It certainly wasn't me. This is not who you were meant to be when I created you. Now maybe they came through your family of origin or life circumstances but the bottom line is that they came from the evil one who uses anyone and anything he can to diminish our worth and power by speaking these dark and hurtful things to us and over us. You may feel that way but it's not who you are. We were made in God's image and loved beyond comprehension by Him. I want to encourage you today that if you have a different image on the inside of you, that you will ask that same question of yourself. "Who told you that"? Have a conversation with God about it and listen for Him to tell you that that was not His voice spoken over you. Then open your bible and find out what He says about you. It's a great question to ask in all facets of life. When fear comes and what if's chatter in your mind. I pray you hear your Father whispering in your heart of hearts "Who told you that"?
