Do Not Be AshamedSýnishorn

The first humans felt no shame

“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25)

Shame is an emotion that we all know. Sometimes we feel ashamed because we did something embarrassing, or because we feel inferior to others in terms of intelligence, social status, wealth or certain skills. Maybe we don’t like how our body looks and prefer to be unnoticed by strangers.

In some situations, we have good reason to feel ashamed. In other cases, our feelings are not justified at all, but are based on other people’s judgmental attitude or on our own sense of inferiority. Such feelings can have a huge impact on our life!

The first humans did not know shame at all. They were both naked, the Bible tells us, but they felt no shame. God had created them perfectly, they were in a loving relationship, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. They felt totally comfortable with each other and with their Creator. Of all the different reasons why we feel ashamed, none was present in God’s good creation from the beginning.

Take a moment today to consider what you feel ashamed of, and why you do so. Then ask yourself what made Adam’s and Eve’s situation so different. This may help you discover where your feelings of shame come from, and whether they are justified or not. And continue reading tomorrow for more Biblical input!