Naked and Not Ashamed:

You know the beauty and danger of being on Social Media is that you are exposed, naked. I am on Facebook, and I have a spectrum of people who know me from several different places, seasons, ages, lands, sectors, etc.

I can only thank God that I have NOTHING to be ashamed of. I am not saying I have, nor am I the best there is. No, no, no. Only grace has covered my shame. Like my wife often gets to say, "God has covered us."

It is amazing to have my course and level mates from University say beautiful things about me. Only a few days ago, one was saying I had an air of peace around me. Really? That was God and only could have been Him.

Little does he know of all the deep struggles I went through during those days in school. I had a crush on a beautiful sister I truly believed God wanted me to settle with but was too innocent, too dumb, and too nice (sincere) to make anything of it.

I struggled to try to understand God's leading. I had emotional ups and downs. I did not know myself, let alone knowing God as I thought I needed to. However, all in all, I was sincere. I was true to what I knew, though I was stupid, but yet sincerely stupid.

I guess that was and is what God honors, the sincerity of heart and purpose. And, I have seen that in other people's lives just as well. Guess why God chose Paul, the Apostle. In all his stupidity, religiosity, and zealousness, he was sincere.

I have seen my Pastor here in Houston grow over the years, as well as the church. He never went to Bible School. I have heard many people say funny disparaging things about him, both the true ones and the false ones.

What each of them failed to understand is God's patience and focus. He dwells in eternity. He does not dwell in the now. He sees beyond the now into eternity, and the only thing that projects is the sincerity of purpose in a person's heart.

What each of them failed to understand is God's patience and focus. He dwells in eternity. He does not dwell in the now. He sees beyond the now into eternity, and the only thing that projects into eternity is the sincerity of purpose in a person's heart.

So, when God checks your own heart today, what is He seeing? When He projects your heart into eternity, does it carry any weight? Can He speak well of you? Can He taunt Satan with your name in mind? Is He certain of where you stand?

St. Akin.