It’s Always Been Slightly Awkward

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”

Ephesians 2:12 (NLT)

 

If you’re reading this on the 8^th of December, and it’s a Wednesday, guess what? Today is my 59^th birthday. Yay, I’m surprised I lasted this long. Now don’t get me wrong, I ain’t gonna get all Eeyore on ya. No sense in saying, “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be” at this point. It’s not as bad as it could be and it’s in that I lift praise to The One who saved and restored. Because without the saving grace of Jesus, my story would be radically different.

 

A funny side note about this day in Church history is that the Roman Catholic’s revere this day as The Immaculate Conception which makes it a Holy Day of Obligation to be at mass. There isn’t enough Freedom Fighter space for me to go into the entire dogma of this but in its basics, it deals with Jesus’ mother, Mary, being conceived and born sinless because her parents were free of any sexual desire or something like that. In any case, it was enough for my mother to name me Christopher. ‘Nough said.

 

Many would think that I should’ve maintained my “religious” background that I received from birth but I didn’t. Life had its moments of awkwardness which led me to walk away from church and this whole “Obligation” nonsense when I was 16 and I didn’t do too good after that. A life of awkwardness never left me either and by the time I was 40 it got exhausting…save me Jesus, save me. He did, the rest is history and life is still slightly awkward but praise God, He isn’t. Anyway…

 

“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?’” — Genesis 3:8-9

 

 

So, picture this awkward moment in Biblical history. The created just realized they were naked and ashamed, and it didn’t take long to get there either. Once a bite of the forbidden fruit from the forbidden tree had been taken by Adam…BOOM…instant shame. “Uh-Oh Eve. We better get over to Old Navy and get us an outfit for the winter.” Nah, that wasn’t actually said, but Scripture doesn’t give us an insight on who’s idea it was to sew fig leaves together to make clothes. Tell ya what, I ain’t that crafty myself so if I was there, Eve and I aren’t getting clothing anytime soon.

But I’ll tell what did happen, Adam and Eve both realized that this act of disobedience destroyed their innocence and when they heard YHVH coming their first instinct was to hide. Isn’t ironic how the first human instinct the Bible mentions is hiding from God? It was if the indwelling instinct of being in communion with God became an afterthought to Adam and Eve. The pathway to the Tree of Life now has a flaming sword guarding it. A once beautiful picture that brought so much glory to Elohim has become the most horribly awkward moment in our history. But God…

 

I tried that hiding from God stuff too. Metaphorically, I ate from a forbidden tree as well and fell for a lie that I was being held back. I was taught that God was in control of everything at the time I walked away and said, “I’ll get it myself, my own way, all for me, how great I art!” Know what? God let me do it but when I came to spot in time where the knowledge of good and evil wasn’t giving me any earthly benefit anymore, I walked out from behind the bush and admitted, “I heard You walking in the Garden, so I hid, I was afraid because I was naked.” (Gen 3:10)

 

Sin breaks the most important relationship we could ever have, the one we can have between us and God. Separation from Him seems to make living the life we choose for ourselves more awkward than it needs to be. This is why Jesus Christ came to earth to be the Prince of Peace. It would be through His life, death and resurrection that we could be at peace with our Creator. It’s this vertical peace that allows us to have peace and harmony with one another.

 

It isn’t an awkward thought to realize that we were made to live in the center of God’s love but so many of us shamefully hide from Him. But with Jesus clothing us in His righteousness, what more do we need? A sweatshirt from Old Navy? May that not be! Amen?

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can e-mail at cphughes515@verizon.net.

---

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. –Colossians 3:14-15