Naked And Unashamed

By Rob Brower • Invest Youth • Tumwater, WA

During elementary school, I remember looking forward to Valentine’s Day knowing that we’d finally get the chance to set aside classwork in order to distribute (and receive) colorful Valentine cards and assorted heart-shaped candy.

In high school, it was all about grand, romantic gestures that would, hopefully, either impress your significant other or, if that role was vacant, convince your crush to become your significant other.

For many youth pastors, however, (myself included) it became that dreaded time of year when the senior pastor expected us to have “The Purity Talk”.

Biblical truth is necessary to combat the onslaught of lies that our teenagers are constantly consuming.

After I eventually found my groove in youth ministry, I began starting my purity lessons by sharing one of my all-time favorite Bible verses. It is the twenty-fifth verse of the second chapter of the Book of Genesis.

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

After the giggling had died down (which was usually perpetrated by middle-school boys) I’d go on to explain why I love this verse so much.

It paints a beautiful picture of the last time that we, as God’s creation, stood before our Creator the way He had originally intended. Before “The Fall”. Before body shaming. Before “Sex Sells”. Before we descended into the hypersexual world we now live in. There they stood. Naked. Not just physically naked— but emotionally and spiritually naked as well.

The new Youth Leaders Only – “Guys And Girls: Youth Ministry And The New Sexuality” – has several great articles.  Click here and we will make sure you get it and all the great new music from Tobymac, Lauren Daigle, Jordan Feliz, and others.

The work that we do with our students is extremely important because not many other adults are willing to speak truth into their lives. Biblical truth is necessary to combat the onslaught of lies that our teenagers are constantly consuming in the form of gossip, social media, television, movies, the internet, literature, and music.

When it comes to the topics of love, sex, and dating, many teenagers have, at best, a distorted view of what a healthy, God-honoring relationship should look like. And in the worst cases, they make decisions that carry potentially life-altering consequences.

Teaching teenagers about purity isn’t simply about encouraging abstinence, signing covenants, or wearing reminder jewelry. Our job is to help them to begin seeing themselves through God’s eyes. In the Garden… walking closely with God… with nothing to hide… naked… and unashamed.