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Day 13: Flaws

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And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. –Philippians 1:6

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When Adam and Eve met, they weren’t wearing clothes.

In Genesis 2:25, they were completely vulnerable and exposed, but they didn’t yet know it, so “they felt no shame.”

God created humans to be physically and emotionally naked and unashamed in front of their spouses. He wanted us to know and love each other the way He knows and loves us: totally.

But the serpent deceived Eve into eating the fruit she wasn’t supposed to eat, and when she shared it with Adam, humankind fell from God’s grace.

When Adam and Eve suddenly realized they were naked, they felt ashamed. They used fig leaves to cover the parts of themselves that they didn’t want each other to see.

In modern intimate relationships, we do that, too.

Our fallen nature comes with an innate fear of being fully known. So, to avoid rejection, we avoid unveiling what we don’t like about ourselves—our failures and struggles with anxiety, addiction, depression, loneliness, loss, and grief.

Yes, we should be equipped for intimate relationships before we enter them. But you don’t have to be perfect to be ready.

It is wise to be spiritually, emotionally, and financially ready to give what an intimate relationship requires. But it is also wise to acknowledge the truth about intimate relationships: perfection is not a prerequisite for being a part of a relationship.

Spouses who are open to God’s grace get to accompany each other while God transforms them each day into holier, healthier versions of themselves. Marriage doesn’t require you to be your best self from the start. God will use marriage to transform both partners into your best selves.

He uses all your relationships and encounters, including with family members, colleagues, classmates, and strangers, to show you where you need to grow.

He knows that humans have flaws. He knows that in our intimate relationships, they’ll be exposed. But, He wants you to know that you are a work in progress.

And He’s not finished with you yet.

Pray

Thank You, Father, for the work You’re doing in me—for helping me over time to overcome the battles I fight in a fallen world. I’m grateful that I don’t have to be perfect, and that You are perfecting me.

Reflect

What sins, bad habits, or flaws do you struggle with? Is there anything you don’t like about yourself? Ask God what He thinks of you.