Being Naked is Terrifying

The other day I was leaving work and heading to Strabuck’s. As I was walking down the service hallway I took my nametag off (as I do every time I leave work because I personally can’t stand nametags). When I took it off it hit me that the reality is that we all wear nametags. Each and every one of us wears a nametag whether we realize it or not. Just the other day when I was at a birthday party a lady asked me if I surfed. Um, do I surf? Why the heck would she ask me that question I thought? I mean why didn’t she say, “do you basket weave?” Why did she ask if I surfed? Well, she said that the board shorts that I was wearing and the “dry-fit” shirt I had on was what surfers wear and that is why she asked.

The more I thought about these two incidents I began to wonder what nametags we all wear whether we realize it or not. I constantly hear people talking about themselves and what they think they are but know in reality that they are far from it. Why is it that we as humans put on these fronts? Why is it that, like me, we can’t stand wearing certain nametags? When I am at work I have no choice but to wear one, but the minute I leave work I can’t wait to take it off. Sadly though for a lot of us there is no leaving work and even worse we can’t take our nametags off because it is who we are. But why, oh why do we hate who we are? I mean let’s be real, if you are reading this I am sure at some point in your life you weren't (or aren't) happy with who you are? Do you like the way you look? Do you wish you were more like someone else? I know its true, we all wish we were something or someone else; if we could only be this or that, or if we could only do this better. Why is that we long to be something other than who we are? Is this the way life is suppose to be? What if we could make our own nametags for ourselves? What if we could decide who and how others defined us?

I personally have been struggling with this issue my whole life (as well as many others, they just won’t admit it). I honestly don’t think this is something that has an easy answer. I honestly wish I had the answer. I do think that a lot of times we put to much weight on what others think of us. I mean read Ephesians 1 and there should be no reason why we should think lowly of ourselves. Society pushes on us what and how we should be but the reality is that God made us all special (ok He made me extra special). We shouldn’t try to be like others but strive to be the one that God created us to be. This is hard to do when we are trying to be a “surfer.” We waist so much time trying to be something were not and the whole time all it is doing is leading us down a road that will end up empty. We have to come to the realization that God created each one of us the way He did for a reason.

I personally believe that we don’t do this because being naked is terrifying (ok not literally naked). We are too afraid that if others find out whom we really are than they may not like us. One of the funny things about Jesus is He always showed people their nakedness. It was through this nakedness that people became free!!! Did you hear that, FREE. Jesus of all people knows that the enemy’s biggest goal is for us to never figure out who we truly are because once we do that than we will find freedom from this life. We will find true Life. God created us for each other. God created us perfect but along the way we have messed up. We all live with struggles and a nature that longs for self fulfillment. It is only when we allow ourselves to get real will we begin to discover who we really are and why God created us. If there is one thing I know, there is true Life and Freedom in confession and sharing life with others who long to search for this nakedness.