And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:25

This verse, early in the Bible, surprises us. It is so stark, so unusual. And yet it has such power and poignancy. “They were both naked and they were not ashamed.” What is God telling us about marriage?

There are naked bodies and yet no shame, no embarrassment, no fear, no masks, no walls. What intimacy! What closeness! What freedom! What trust! What transparency!

They trusted one another. And because they trusted one another, they felt safe. They felt accepted. They felt secure in their relationship. No threats, no fears, no shame. They could trust each other with their bodies because they trusted each other with their hearts. They were open and honest. Transparent. Secure.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Can you imagine this kind of marriage, feeling so understood, so accepted, so safe?

How does this happen? It starts with trust. Trust comes when you are always truthful and honest, when you are dependable, when you do what you say, when you are loyal and faithful no matter what.

When you tell the truth and do what you say day by day, week by week, year by year, you build trust. As trust builds, you feel safe. You open your heart. You let her, you let him, know what’s really going on inside. You connect at the heart level.

You listen deeply, with all your heart, because you long to understand your spouse. And over time, you feel close. Incredibly close. You begin to experience the magic and mystery of marriage. One-flesh marriage.